m^ 


'*     DEC  19 1908      *' 


Division 


Section 


-85^548 


AMONG  THE   GOSPELS 

AND 

THE  ACTS 


Among  the  Gospels 

and 

The  Acts 


Being    Notes    and  Comments  Covering   the 

Life  of  Christ  in  the  Flesh,  and  the 

First  Thirty  Years'  History 

of  His  Church 


PETER  'AINSLIE 

Author  of  "  God  and  A/ie,"  etc 


"The  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge  are  hidden  in  Christ."— Faui. 


BALTIMORE:     TEMPLE    SEMINARY 
PRESS  cTVlCMVIII 

Copyright,  1908,  by    Temple  Seminary  Press 


PRESS  OF 

FLEET-McGINLEY   CO 
Baltimorb 


FOREWORD. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  work,  which  has  been  done 
here  and  there  amid  the  cares  of  a  busy  ministry,  I  have 
sought  to  make  a  practical  classification  of  the  material  in 
the  Gospels  and  the  Acts,  with  no  attempt  at  being  ex- 
haustive or  critical,  but  simply  presenting  a  common-sense 
plan  of  study  as  an  aid  to  busy  people  who  desire  a  larger 
knowledge  of  the  Word,  which  is  God's  lamp  unto  our  feet. 

While  I  have  freely  consulted  many  authorities,  I  have 
sought  most  of  all  to  conform  to  the  spirit  and  the  genius 
of  these  sacred  records  of  our  Lord  when  He  dwelt  among 
us  in  the  flesh  and  of  the  planting  of  His  Church  for 
the  saving  of  the  lost  world.  In  no  sense  is  this  book  to 
be  studied  in  preference  to  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts.  This 
is  only  to  introduce  the  student  to  the  more  careful  study 
of  the  Holy  Oracles  themselves.  This  can  only  take  you 
to  the  door ;  your  study  of  the  Word  itself  will  take  you 
beyond  the  threshold.  If  this  book  serves  to  that  end  it 
will  have  accomplished  the  purpose  of  its  preparation.  To 
the  Divine  Sower  this  is  committed  as  being  only  a  hand- 
ful of  seed  that  may  bring  fruit  to  His  glory. 

Peter  Ainslie. 
Baltimore^  ig>o8. 


CONTENTS 


Foreword v 

CHAPTER  I. 
Introductory  Study i 

CHAPTER  n. 
Matthew — From    the    Birth    of   Jesus    to   His    Temptation 

(1:1-4:11) • 31 

CHAPTER    in. 

Matthew — The  Early  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  GaHlee  and  the 

Sermon  on  the  Mount  (4:12-7:29) ■      53 

CHAPTER    IV. 
Matthew — The  Later  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  GaHlee  (8-t8)  .      y2> 

CHAPTER  V. 

Matthew — The  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Persea,  Judaea  and  Jeru- 
salem   (19-25) 89 

CHAPTER    VI. 
Matthew — The  Trial,  Crucifixion  and  Resurrection  (26-28)     103 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Mark — The  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Galilee   (1-9) 117 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

Mark — The  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Perjea,  Judsea  and  Jeru- 
salem   (10-13) 135 

CHAPTER    IX. 

Mark — The  Trial,  Crucifixion,  Resurrection  and  Ascension 

(14-16) 151 

CHAPTER  X. 
Luke — From  the  Birth  of  John  to  the  Temptation  of  Jesus 

(1:1-4:13) 165 


CHAPTER   XL 
Luke — Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Galilee   (4 :  14-9 :  50)     ....     183 

CHAPTER  Xn. 

Luke — Ministry   of   Jesus   in   Samaria,    Perasa,   Judaea   and 

Jerusalem    (9:51-21:38) I97 

CHAPTER  XHL 
Luke — The  Trial,  Crucifixion,  Resurrection  and  Ascension 

(22-24) 213 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

John — From  the  Beginning  and  on  to  His  Second  Passover 

(1-4) 225 

CHAPTER  XV. 

John — From  His  Second  to  His  Fourth  and  Last  Passover 

(5-12) 247 

CHAPTER    XVL 

John — The   Last    Supper   and   the   Resurrection   and   Jesus 

Asking  Peter  for  His  Love  (13-21) 271 

CHAPTER  XVH. 

Acts — From  the  Ascension  of  Jesus  to  the  Descent  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  and  the  Planting  of  the  Church  in  Jeru- 
salem   (1:1-8:3) 297 

CHAPTER    XVHL 

Acts — The  Planting  of  the  Church  in  Samaria  and  Judaea 

(8:4-12:25) 325 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Acts — The    Planting    of    the    Church    Among    the    Pagans 

(13:  1-21:  16) 343 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Acts — Paul's  Five  Years'  Imprisonment  and  His  Five  De- 
fenses   (21:17-28:31) '>;J^ 

Index 407 


APPRECIATION  AND  HISTORY 
OF  THE  SCRIPTURES 


"God  so  loved  the  world,  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son, 
that  whosoever  beheveth  on  Him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
eternal  life." — Jesus  to  Nicodemus  (Jno.  3:  16). 


"The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me, 

Because  He  anointed  me  to  preach  good  tidings  to  the  poor : 
He  hath  sent  me  to  proclaim  release  to  the  captives. 
And  recovering  of  sight  to  the  blind. 
To  set  at  liberty  them  that  are  bruised. 
To  proclaim  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord." 
— Jesus  in  the  Synagogue  at  Nazareth,  Quoting  Isaiah's 

Prophecy  Referring  to  Himself  (Isa.  61 :  i ;  Lu.  4 :  18,  19). 


"In  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions ;  if  it  were  not  so,  I 
would  have  told  you;  for  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you.  And  if 
I  go  and  prepare  a  place  for  you,  I  come  again,  and  will  receive 
you  unto  myself;  that  where  I  am,  there  ye  may  be  also." — Jesus 
to  His  Apostles  at  the  Last  Passover  (Jno.  14:  2,  3). 


"They  crucified  Him,  and  with  Him  two  others,  on  either  side 
one,  and  Jesus  in  the  midst." — John  (Jno.  19:  18). 


'The  Lord  is  risen." — The  Disciples  to  the  Tzvo  (Lu.  24:  34). 


"Ye  shall  receive  power,  when  the  Holy  Spirit  is  come  upon 
you:  and  ye  shall  be  my  witnesses  both  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  all 
Judsea  and  Samaria,  and  unto  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth." — 
The  Last  Words  of  Jesus  to  His  Apostles  before  His  Ascension 
(Acts  1:8). 


APPRECIATION    AND    HISTORY    OF    TPIE 
SCRIPTURES. 

Appreciation  of  the  Scriptures. — In  a  personal 
letter  from  Grover  Cleveland  concerning  the  issuing  of 
this  volume,  he  wrote  the  author  from  Princeton,  N.  J., 
under  the  date  of  March  14,  1908:  "I  very  much  hope 
that  in  sending  out  this  book  you  will  do  something  to  in- 
vite more  attention  among  the  masses  of  our  people  to 
the  study  of  the  New  Testament  and  the  Bible  as  a 
whole.  It  seems  to  me  that  in  these  days  there  is  an 
unhappy  falling  off  in  our  appreciation  of  the  importance 
of  this  study.  I  do  not  believe  as  a  people  that  we  can 
afford  to  allow  our  interest  in  and  veneration  for  the 
Bible  to  abate.  I  look  upon  it  as  the  source  from  which 
those  who  study  it  in  spirit  and  in  truth  will  derive 
strength  of  character,  a  realization  of  the  duty  of  citizen- 
ship, and  a  true  apprehension  of  the  power  and  wisdom 
and  mercy  of  God." 

"Talk  about  questions  of  the  hour!"  said  William  E. 
Gladstone,  statesman  and  politician,  ''there  is  but  one 
question :  How  to  bring  the  truths  of  God's  Word  into 
vital  contact  with  the  mind  and  heart  of  all  classes  of  the 
people."  To  that  end  this  volume  is  written.  'T  put  a 
New  Testament  among  your  books,"  wrote  Charles  Dick- 
ens, novelist  and  reformer,  to  his  son,  ''because  it  is  the 
best  book  that  ever  was  or  will  be  known  in  the  world,  and 
because  it  teaches  you  the  best  lessons  by  which  any  hu- 
man creature  who  tries  to  be  truthful  and  faithful  to  duty 
can  possibly  be  guided."  "Every  morning  read  seriously 
and  reverently  a  portion  of  Holy  Scriptures,"  said  Sir 
Matthew  Hale,  the  great  Lord  Chief  Justice  of  England. 


2  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

"and  acquaint  yourself  with  the  doctrine  thereof.  It  is  a 
book  full  of  light  and  wisdom  and  will  make  you  wise  to 
eternal  life." 

John  Locke,  the  famous  philosopher,  whose  last  years 
were  spent  in  the  study  of  the  Scriptures,  wrote :  "If  any 
man  would  attain  the  true  knowledge  of  the  Christian 
religion,  let  him  study  the  Holy  Scriptures,  especially  the 
New  Testament.  Therein  are  contained  the  words  of 
eternal  life.  It  has  God  for  its  author,  salvation  for  its 
end  and  truth  without  any  mixture  of  error  for  its  matter." 

'T  must  confess,"  said  Jean  Rousseau,  literary  genius 
and  philosopher,  "the  majesty  of  the  Scriptures  astonishes 
me;  the  holiness  of  the  Evangelists  speaks  to  my  heart 
and  has  such  strong  and  striking  characteristics  of  truth, 
and  is  moreover  so  perfectly  inimitable,  that  had  it  been 
the  invention  of  men  the  inventors  would  be  greater  than 
the  greatest  of  heroes." 

"All  that  I  have  taught  of  art,"  wrote  John  Ruskin, 
art  critic  and  master  of  English  prose,  "everything 
that  I  have,  whatever  greatness  there  has  been  in  any 
thought  of  mine,  whatever  I  have  done  in  my  life,  has 
simply  been  due  to  the  fact  that  when  I  was  a  child  my 
mother  daily  read  with  me  a  part  of  the  Bible  and  daily 
made  me  learn  a  part  of  it  by  heart."  The  historian, 
James  Anthony  Froude,  said,  "The  Bible  thoroughly 
known  is  a  literature  in  itself — the  rarest  and  richest  in  all 
departments  of  thought  or  imagination  which  exists." 

Sir  Walter  Scott,  novelist  and  poet,  said  it  is  "the  one 
book" ;  Ernest  Renan,  rationalist  and  author,  said  that  it 
is  "the  great  consolatory  book  of  humanity" ;  Sir  Isaac 
Newton,  philosopher  and  mathematician,  said  that  it  con- 
tains "the  most  sublime  philosophy" ;  Thomas  Huxley, 
agnostic  and  scientist,  said  that  there  could  be  no  true 


Appreciation  of  the  Scriptures.  3 

education  "without  the  use  of  the  Bible";  John  Quincy 
Adams,  statesman  and  man  of  letters,  said  that  it  is  ''the 
book  of  all  others  to  be  read  at  all  ages  and  in  all  condi- 
tions of  human  life" ;  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  legislator  and 
military  genius,  said,  "I  never  omit  to  read  the  Bible, 
and  every  day  with  the  same  pleasure.  The  soul  can 
never  go  astray  with  this  Book  as  its  guide."  And  Samuel 
Coleridge,  poet  and  philosopher,  affirmed  that  "it  has  gone 
hand  and  hand  with  civilization,  science,  law — in  short, 
with  the  moral  and  intellectual  cultivation  of  the  species, 
always  supporting  and  often  leading  the  way." 

Shakespeare  freely  wove  the  Scriptures  into  his  dramas, 
and  Bacon  into  his  essays.  Dante,  Milton,  Addison,  John- 
son, Pope,  Wordsworth,  Browning  and  Tennyson  adorned 
their  poems  with  these  inspired  thoughts.  It  was  under 
the  influence  of  the  Scriptures  that  art  was  lifted  to  its 
lofty  heights,  when,  beginning  with  Cimabue,  Duccio  and 
Giotto  of  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  centuries,  painting 
was  revolutionized  by  these  religious  artists,  culminating 
two  hundred  years  later  in  Raphael,  Titian,  Leonardo  da 
Vinci  and  like  spirits,  followed  by  Rubens,  Rembrandt, 
Hoffman,  Hunt,  Tissot  and  hosts  of  others  with  master 
achievements  on  canvas,  while  from  Michelangelo  to 
Dannecker  and  Thorwaldsen  the  chisel  gave  unspeakable 
beauty  to  marble.  The  greatest  themes  for  the  painter 
and  the  sculptor  were  Christ  and  the  record  of  His  life  as 
recorded  in  the  Gospels. 

It  was  the  study  of  the  Scriptures  that  gave  impetus  to 
statesmen  and  brought  the  Golden  Age  of  Anglo-Saxon 
oratory,  reaching  in  England  from  the  days  of  Lord  Chat- 
ham and  Edmund  Burke  to  Gladstone,  and  in  America 
from  the  days  of  Samuel  Adams  to  the  culmination  of  that 
superb  triumvirate — Clay,  Calhoun  and  Webster.     'Tf  we 


4  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

abide  by  the  principles  taught  in  the  Bible,"  said  Daniel 
Webster,  ''our  country  will  go  on  prospering  and  to  pros- 
per ;  but  if  we  and  our  posterity  neglect  its  instructions  and 
authority,  no  man  can  tell  how  sudden  a  catastrophe  may 
overwhelm  us  and  bury  our  glory  in  profound  obscurity." 

The  highest  achievements  of  the  human  mind  in  litera- 
ture, philosophy,  science  and  art  have  been  reached  under 
the  light  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  The  Word  of  God  is  the 
lamp  of  the  world.  Benevolences,  education,  discoveries, 
inventions — in  short,  all  civilization  that  has  stood  for  the 
betterment  of  the  race  has  received  its  impulse  from  the 
Bible.  Said  the  author,  Charles  Dudley  Warner :  ^'Wholly 
apart  from  its  religious  or  from  its  ethical  value,  the  Bible 
is  the  one  book  that  no  intelligent  person  who  wishes  to 
come  into  contact  with  the  world  of  thought  or  to  share 
the  ideas  of  the  great  minds  of  the  Christian  era  can  afford 
to  be  ignorant  of.  All  modern  literature  and  all  art  arc 
permeated  with  it.  There  is  scarcely  a  great  work  in  the 
language  that  can  be  fully  understood  and  enjoyed  with- 
out this  knowledge,  so  full  is  it  of  allusions  and  illustra- 
tions from  the  Bible.  This  is  true  of  fiction,  of  poetry,  of 
economic  and  philosophic  works,  and  also  of  the  scientific 
and  even  agnostic  treatises.  It  is  not  at  all  a  question  of 
religion,  or  theology,  or  of  dogma ;  it  is  a  question  of  gen- 
eral intelligence."  Therefore,  know  the  Word,  study  it, 
memorize  it,  practice  it,  for  it  is  the  basis  of  all  true  edu- 
cation and  all  right  living. 

Surrounded  by  such  company,  and  these  that  have  been 
named  are  only  representatives  of  their  classes — states- 
men, authors,  jurists,  philosophers,  historians,  scientists, 
legislators,  soldiers,  poets,  educators,  dramatists,  essayists, 
artists,  sculptors,  orators  and  all  shades  of  religious  think- 
ers— he  who  does  not  merelv  read,  but  study  the  Holv 


Appreciation  of  the  Scriptures.  5 

Scriptures  ought  to  be  ashamed  to  even  loiter  around,  not 
to  say  to  sit  in  the  company  of  such  a  distinguished  as- 
sembly !  But  he  who  studies  this  Book  and  lays  up  its 
thought  in  his  mind  is  fit  to  sit  with  the  noblest  of  this 
age  and  all  ages.  The  study  of  the  Scriptures  them- 
selves—not books  about  the  one  blessed  Book,  but  that 
Book  itself— gives  culture  and  faith  and  vision  and  holi- 
ness to  the  soul. 

The  New  Testament  may  be  read  in  about  ten  hours, 
and  the  Gospels  and  the  book  of  Acts,  with  which  this 
study  is  immediately  concerned,  may  be  read  in  about  six 
hours.  No  system  of  theology  can  be  substituted  for  the 
Scriptures.  No  book,  however  true  in  reflecting  its  light, 
can  take  its  place.  The  author  of  this  volume  has  tried  to 
ignore  all  theological  systems  in  this  study,  and  has  sought 
to  make  Christ  the  center  of  the  study,  as  He  is  the  center 
of  both  the  Gospels  and  the  book  of  Acts.  This  volume, 
then,  is  only  a  finger  board  pointing  to  Him,  for  to  know 
Him  is  eternal  life. 

History  of  the  Scriptures.— The  history  of  the  books 
of  the  Old  Testament,  including  the  Septuagint  version, 
belongs  in  the  study  of  another  volume.^  This  study  is 
concerned  with  the  New  Testament,  and  the  Gospels  and 
the  Acts  in  particular. 

Christianity  is  an  historical  religion,  and  so  the  biog- 
raphies of  Jesus  come  first  in  the  arrangement,  although 
the  letters  to  the  Thessalonians,  and  perhaps  several  other 
Epistles,  antedate  the  Gospels,  but  in  the  arrangement  it  is 
wise  that  the  historical  facts  of  Christ  come  first,  followed 
by  the  Acts,  which  is  a  record  of  the  first  thirty  years  of  the 
Church  of  Christ,  and  then  the  letters  to  the  believers  in 
some  of  those   Churches,  closing  with  the   Apocalypse, 

'Ainslie's  Among  the  Books  of  the  Old  Testament. 


6  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

which  was  both  an  exhortation  to  and  a  prophecy  of  the 
future  Church. 

Matthew  wrote  from  the  standpoint  of  a  Jew  and  largely 
for  the  Jews.  Both  for  that  reason  and  that  it  is  doubt- 
less the  earliest  of  these  biographies  it  is  placed  first  in 
the  New  Testament,  and,  consequently,  next  to  the  Old 
Testament.  Mark  appears  to  have  written  for  the  Ro- 
mans, as  Luke  did  for  the  Greeks.  Although  the  Jews, 
the  Romans  and  the  Greeks  were  the  enemies  of  Christi- 
anity, yet  it  was  in  the  capital  of  the  Jews  that  Christianity 
started,  and  it  was  proclaimed  in  the  tongue  of  the  Greeks 
throughout  every  part  of  the  empire  of  the  Romans.  John 
wrote  for  no  nationality  in  particular,  but  for  all  mankind, 
that  all  might  ''believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of 
God ;  and  that  believing  ye  may  have  life  in  His  name."^ 
It  was  the  last  of  the  biographies,  and  as  none  had  ever 
done,  it  swept  into  the  undated  past,  looked  into  the 
heights  and  the  depths  of  the  human  soul  and  then  looked 
with  steadfast  eye  into  the  undated  future.  It  is  the  Gos- 
pel of  vision.  These  four  books  are  called  the  Gospels 
perhaps  from  Wyclif's  translation,  in  which  he  used  the 
word  godspel,  meaning  ''news  about  God,"  from  the 
Anglo-Saxon  godspellian,  combining  God  and  spel,  mean- 
ing story  or  news.  When  this  term  is  used  in  the  New 
Testament,  however,  it  means  the  Word  preached. 

The  book  of  Acts,  which  is  one  of  the  most  important 
books  in  the  Bible,  has  Luke  for  its  author,  and  it  covers 
the  first  thirty  years'  history  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  It 
is  the  most  thrilling  of  annals.  It  records  the  advent  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  the  evangelistic  labors  of  the  early  be- 
lievers and  the  conversions  of  thousands  of  men  and 
women  of  all  nations  into  Christian  life. 

"John  20:  31. 


History  of  the  Scriptures.  7 

Many  of  the  early  writers,  as  far  back  as  Irenaeus  of  the 
second  century,  frequently  spoke  of  "the  four-shaped  Gos- 
pel," and  he,  with  others,  saw  in  the  symbols  of  Ezekiel's 
vision"  our  four-fold  Gospel — the  man  was  the  symbol  for 
Matthew,  because  of  the  human  and  kingly  character  of 
Christ  delineated  by  Matthew ;  the  lion  for  Mark  because 
of  his  emphasis  on  the  strength  and  courage  of  Christ; 
the  ox  for  Luke  because  he  so  frequently  spoke  of  the 
mediatorial  and  priestly  office  of  Christ ;  and  the  eagle  for 
John  because,  as  said  Augustine,  "he  soars  to  Heaven 
above  the  clouds  of  human  infirmity  and  reveals  to  us  the 
mysteries  of  the  Godhead  and  the  felicities  of  eternal  life, 
gazing  on  the  light  of  immutable  truth  with  a  keen  and 
steady  ken."  Whether  it  be  a  true  interpretation  or  not, 
certainly  the  picture  is  beautiful. 

Commenting  on  it,  Wordsworth  said :  "Like  them  the 
Gospels  are  four  in  number ;  like  them  they  are  the  chariot 
of  God  who  sitteth  between  the  cherubim  ;  like  them  they 
bear  Him  on  a  winged  throne  into  all  lands ;  like  them  they 
move  wherever  the  Spirit  guides  them ;  like  them  they  are 
marvellously  joined  together,  intertwined  with  coincidences 
and  differences ;  wing  interwoven  with  wing,  and  wheel  in- 
terwoven with  wheel ;  like  them  they  are  full  of  eyes,  and 
sparkle  with  heavenly  light;  like  them  they  sweep  from 
Heaven  to  earth,  and  from  earth  to  Heaven,  and  fly  with 
lightning  speed  and  with  the  noise  of  many  waters.  Their 
sound  is  gone  out  into  all  lands  and  their  words  to  the  end 
of  the  world." 

In  the  early  Church,  as  far  back  as  Chrysostom  of  the 
fourth  century,  and  even  now  in  the  Greek  Church,  the 
New  Testament  is  divided  into  "the  Gospels,"  referring  to 
the  four  Gospels,  and  "the  Apostles,"  referring  to  the  re- 


'Ezek.  1 :  5-26. 


8  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

malnder  of  the  New  Testament.  Easter  Sunday  marked 
the  beginning  of  the  reading  from  the  Gospels,  which  on 
that  day  is  John  i-.i-iy,  and  on  the  same  Sunday  "the 
Apostles"  are  read,  beginning  with  the  book  of  Acts. 

The  New  Testament  covered  less  than  one  hundred 
years,  counting  from  the  birth  of  Christ  to  the  latest  book 
of  this  sacred  collection.  These  books  were  written  out 
of  circumstances  calling  for  such  utterances.  These  ''men 
spake  from  God,  being  moved  by  the  Holy  Spirit"*  Paul 
wrote  to  Timothy,  "Every  Scripture  inspired  of  God  is 
also  profitable  for  teaching,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for 
instruction  which  is  in  righteousness :  that  the  man  of  God 
may  be  complete,  furnished  completely  unto  every  good 
work."^ 

In  general  terms  inspiration  may  be  characterized  as 
verbal,  meaning  that  God  gave  the  exact  words,  dictating 
them  to  the  writer  as  one  dictates  to  a  stenographer  with- 
out the  use  of  the  personality  of  the  writer;  and  moral, 
meaning  that  God  quickened  the  natural  faculties  of  the 
sacred  writers,  using  their  own  personalities  and  charac- 
teristics, but  guiding  them  free  from  error,  so  that  while 
there  are  diflferent  styles  in  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  John, 
Paul,  James,  Peter  and  Jude,  the  truth  is  the  same,  and 
they  are  God's  spokesmen  to  all  mankind.  To  this  latter 
theory,  this  volume  is  committed. 

These  books  were  written  upon  the  skins  of  animals 
after  being  carefully  prepared,  which  is  called  parchment; 
and  upon  papyrus,  a  plant  found  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile 
and  also  in  Syria.  The  pith  of  this  plant  was  cut  into 
strips  and  laid  at  right  angles  and  then  pressed  and  rubbed. 
This  was  the  first  '"paper,"  which  word  is  derived  from 


"2  Peter  i :  21.     '2  Timothy  3  :  16,  17. 


History  of  the  Scriptures.  9 

papyrus,  but  paper  made  from  cotton  or  linen  did  not  come 
into  use  until  the  eleventh  century. 

Whether  papyrus  or  parchment  was  used,  it  was  made 
into  rolls  ten  by  twelve  inches  wide  and  several  feet  long. 
Matthew  would  make  about  30  feet,  Mark  19,  Luke  31  or 
32,  John  23  and  6  inches,  and  Acts  31  or  32.*^  It  is  possible 
that  such  a  long  book  would  be  divided  rather  than  at- 
taching all  the  books  together  on  one  roll,  which  would 
reach  to  perhaps  200  feet.  On  the  general  use  of  parch- 
ment book  form  came  into  use  about  the  fourth  century, 
with  pages  from  Syzxg^i  to  13^x20  inches,  and  papyrus 
passed  out  of  use.  Constantine  ordered  fifty  such  copies 
of  the  Scriptures  for  the  Churches  in  Constantinople  alone. 
Two  copies  of  the  New  Testament  of  that  period  have 
been  preserved.  These  are  called  "Codices,"  codex  being 
a  manuscript  in  the  general  form  of  a  book  written  in 
uncial  characters,  which  are  characters  resembling  cap- 
itals, and  with  few,  if  any,  punctuation  marks  or  separa- 
tion of  words.  The  cursive  style  of  writing,  which  is  the 
running  hand,  did  not  come  into  use  before  the  ninth  cen- 
tury. 

The  Codex  Sinaiticiis,  so  called  because  it  was  found 
in  the  monastery  of  Saint  Catherine  at  Mount  Sinai  by 
Tischendorf  in  1859,  is  now  in  the  Imperial  Library  at  St. 
Petersburg.  It  is  in  four  volumes,  and  contains  the 
greater  part  of  the  Old  Testament  and  all  of  the  New 
Testament.  It  belongs  to  the  middle  of  the  fourth  cen- 
tury. The  Codex  Vaticanus,  which  was  found  in  Egypt 
and  brought  to  Rome  by  Pope  Nicholas  V  in  1448,  is  in 
the  Vatican  Library.  Like  the  Sinaiticus,  it  belongs  to  the 
fourth  century.  The  manuscript  is  not  complete,  there 
being  gaps  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  the  New  Testament 


'Frederick  G.  Kenyon  in  Our  Bible  and  the  Ancient  Manuscripts. 


lo  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

ends  with  Hebrews  9:14.  The  Codex  Alexandrinus  of 
the  fifth  century  was  found  in  Alexandria  and  was  pre- 
sented to  King  Charles  I  of  England  by  Sir  Thomas  Roe. 
It  was  transferred  to  the  British  Museum  in  London  in 

1753. 

All  these  are  written  in  Greek,  and  they  are  the  most 
important  of  the  early  manuscripts.  It  is  significant  that 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  the  Greek  Church  and  the 
Protestant  Church  has  each  been  made  the  custodian  of 
the  three  most  ancient  manuscripts.  Fragmentary  copies 
of  the  Scriptures  in  this  period,  some  earlier,  and  many 
full  manuscripts  of  later  periods,  have  been  found  to  the 
number  of  3829,^  which  is  unparalleled  in  any  other  ancient 
book.  There  is  only  a  single  manuscript  of  the  writings 
of  the  Athenian  poet  Sophocles  of  the  third  century  before 
Christ,  in  existence,  which  is  now  in  Florence,  and  this 
dates  back  no  further  than  the  eighth  century  of  the 
Christian  era,  and  of  ^schylus,  who  lived  525-456  B.  C, 
the  earliest  manuscript  dates  back  no  further  than  the 
tenth  century,  and  so  it  is  of  other  ancient  authors.  In 
spite  of  all  devices  to  destroy  this  Book,  God  has  kept  it 
upon  the  earth  to  light  man's  way  into  love  and  peace. 

The  copying  of  these  books  was  a  toilsome  and  ex- 
pensive task.  Every  letter  being  made  separately,  and  the 
expense  of  preparing  the  parchment  brought  the  cost  of  a 
single  copy  of  the  Scriptures  anywhere  from  $500  to 
$1000,  The  work  was  done  by  the  monks,  who  became 
skilled  in  the  art,  frequently  adorning  the  parchment  with 
all  references  to  the  Deity  in  gold  or  silver  letters,  and 
sometimes  with  artistic  designs  at  the  opening,  somewhat 
like  the  initial  letter  now  used  in  printing.     These  manu- 


'Eberhard  Nestle  in  Textual  Criticism  of  the  Greek  New  Testa- 
ment. 


History  of  the  Scriptures.  ii 

scripts  were  sometimes  bound  in  gold  and  the  lids  were 
studded  with  jewels.  A  copy  of  the  entire  Bible  could  be 
owned  by  only  the  wealthy,  and  so  separate  Gospels 
and  Epistles  were  in  circulation  through  a  greater  part 
of  the  Middle  Ages,  as  those  who  were  able  could  buy 
them.  Such  was  the  condition  up  to  the  twelfth  and 
thirteenth  centuries. 

Originally  there  were  no  divisions  by  chapters  and 
verses.  The  first  division  by  chapters  was  made  of  the 
Gospels  by  Ammonius  of  Alexandria  in  220  A.  D.,  and  by 
the  year  500  the  entire  New  Testament  had  been  so  di- 
vided. According  to  some  of  the  early  Greek  manuscripts, 
Matthew  was  divided  into  68  chapters,  Mark  48,  Luke  83 
and  John  18.^  Eusebius  of  the  third  and  fourth  centuries 
made  still  shorter  chapters,  dividing  Matthew  into  355 
chapters,  Mark  into  233,  Luke  into  342  and  John  into  232. 
The  chapter  divisions  as  we  have  them  now  first  appeared 
in  Latin  Bibles,  originating  with  Cardinal  Hugo  de  St. 
Caro^  of  the  thirteenth  century,  whose  concordance  to  the 
Vulgate  popularized  both  chapters  and  verses.  The  pres- 
ent division  by  verses  came  later,  when  Robert  Stephens, 
sometimes  called  by  his  surname  in  French,  Etienne,  a 
French  printer  and  Protestant  scholar,  made  the  plan  on 
his  way  from  Paris  to  Lyons  in  1551,  and  the  first  addition 
appeared  that  year  in  tw^o  volumes.  This  system,  how- 
ever, was  not  included  in  Tyndale's,  Coverdale's  or  the 
Great  Bible.  While  dividing  by  chapters  and  verses  is 
helpful,  in  many  instances  the  divisions  are  ill  made.  Read- 
ing in  paragraphs  is  greatly  to  be  preferred. 

The  various  books  of  the  New  Testament  were  passed 
from  Church  to  Church,  some  Churches  making  copies 


^The  People's  Bible  History,  edited  by  George  C.  Lorimer. 
''Cyrus  Adler  in  his  Report  of  the  U.  S.  National  Museum. 


12  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

and  retaining  them.  At  the  synod  of  Laodicea,  in  360 
A.  D.,  the  first  official  list  was  made,  although  the  list 
edited  by  Muratori  in  the  eighteenth  century,  and  so 
called  Muratorian  Canon,  may  reach  back  to  170  A.  D. 
In  the  Councils  of  Hippo  in  393  and  at  Carthage  in  397, 
under  the  leadership  of  Augustine,  the  New  Testament 
canon  was  settled  as  we  have  it  now,  canon  meaning  a  rule 
by  which  the  books  were  admitted,  and  by  the  latter  part 
of  the  fifth  century  the  twenty-seven  books  had  become 
generally  accepted  throughout  Christendom. 

No  part  of  the  early  Church  did  more  for  the  transla- 
tion of  the  Scriptures  into  the  common  tongue  than  the 
Syriac-speaking  people. ^^  The  Christian  fathers  spoke  of 
their  version  as  *'the  queen"  of  all  the  versions.  The 
Peshito,  which  is  a  Syriac  word,  meaning  "simple"  or 
''common,"  and  used  to  distinguish  the  ordinary  script 
from  the  more  elaborate  writing,  is  supposed  to  date  from 
the  second  century.  Speaking  of  John's  Gospel,  Chry- 
sostom  said  that  the  Syrians,  Indians,  Persians,  Ethiopians 
and  numberless  others  had  translations  in  their  own  lan- 
guages. At  the  instance  of  Bishop  Damasus  of  Rome, 
Jerome  of  the  fourth  and  fifth  centuries  went  to  Palestine 
and  there  translated  the  Scriptures  into  Latin,  which  was 
the  common  tongue  of  the  world  at  that  time,  and  for  that 
reason  his  version  was  called  the  common,  or  Vulgate. 
It  was,  however,  not  generally  accepted  by  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  which  was  then  rising  into  being,  until 
the  ninth  century,  but  at  the  Council  of  Trent  in  1563  it 
was  declared  to  be  equal  authority  with  the  original  Bible. 

The  Gothic  version  was  the  work  of  Ulfilas  of  the  fourth 
century.  Out  of  this  he  invented  the  Gothic  alphabet,  and 
many  valuable  manuscripts  have  been  preserved  from  this 


'Eberhard  Nestle  in  Hastings'  Dictionary  of  the  Bible. 


History  of  the  Scriptures.  13 

version,  especially  the  one  in  Upsala,  in  Sweden,  of  the 
fifth  century,  which  is  written  in  uncial  characters  in  gold 
and  silver  on  purple  vellum,  containing,  however,  only  187 
pages,  which  are  large  fragments  of  each  of  the  Gospels. 
The  Georgian  version,  which  was  the  vv^ork  of  Mesrop, 
who  invented  the  Georgian  alphabet,  belongs  to  the  fifth 
or  the  sixth  century.  The  Slavonic  version,  which  was 
the  work  of  Cyril  and  Methodius  of  the  ninth  century, 
gave  the  Scriptures  in  the  language  of  the  Bulgarian 
Slavs,  as  was  the  Egyptian  version  for  the  Egyptians, 
and  there  were  more  than  a  dozen  other  versions. 

I  regret  that  in  tracing  the  history  of  the  Scriptures  I 
am  compelled  to  make  mention  of  the  bitter  hostility  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church  to  giving  the  Bible  to  the 
people  in  their  common  tongue,  but  it  is  impossible  to  give 
this  history  without  these  blots,  for  which  I  ask  the  read- 
er's pity,  rather  than  revenge,  for  those  semi-Christianized 
persecutors. 

In  the  night  of  the  Middle  Ages  the  priesthood  became 
thoroughly  corrupt  and  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
drifted  almost  entirely  away  from  the  Scriptures,  while 
the  pious  among  its  own  members  and  the  pious  of  those 
who  were  not  associated  with  that  Church,  but  who  were 
to  some  extent  under  its  political  power,  longed  for  a  bet- 
ter understanding  of  the  Word  of  God.  These  conditions 
paved  the  way  for  the  Reformation.  Paraphrases  of  the 
Scriptures  into  English  had  been  made  and  John  Wyclif 
of  the  fourteenth  century  instituted  an  order  called  "the 
poor  priests,"  who  were  sent  out  to  work  among  the  poor, 
and  to  take  the  Scriptures  to  them  in  their  native  tongue. 
Wyclif  first  translated  from  the  Vulgate  the  Apocaylpse, 
then  the  Gospels,  and  later  the  whole  New  Testament, 
with  notes,  and  two  years  later — 1382 — the  Old  Testa- 


14  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

ment,  assisted  by  Nicolas  de  Hereford.^^  For  doing  this 
Wvclif  was  publicly  condemned  by  the  Synod  of  London 
in  the  same  year,  and  Hereford  had  to  flee  from  England 
to  save  his  life.  Two  years  later  Wyclif  died,  and  forty- 
four  years  after,  on  the  order  of  the  Pope,  his  bones  were 
burned  and  his  ashes  were  thrown  into  the  Swift,  a  tribu- 
tary of  the  river  Avon,  and  floated  outward  to  the  sea — 
an  unintentional  prophecy  of  the  universal  practice  of 
giving  the  Bible  in  the  native  tongue  of  all  nations.  John 
Purvey,  a  pupil  of  Wyclif,  issued  a  revision  of  Wyclif's 
translation,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  copies  of  this  Bible 
are  still  preserved  in  parchment. 

Then  came  the  invention  of  printing,  and  the  first  book 
that  came  from  the  press  was  a  Latin  Bible  in  the  Vulgate 
version,  issued  by  Gutenberg  in  1456.  The  first  printed 
book  to  enter  Russia  in  1564  was  a  copy  of  the  Psalter, 
as,  thirty-one  years  before,  the  first  printed  book  to  be 
taken  into  Hungary  was  the  Epistles  of  Paul.  In  15 16 
Erasmus,  Dutch  scholar  and  professor  at  Cambridge 
University,  published  a  New  Testament  in  Greek  with 
the  Latin  translations  and  comments.  It  was  perhaps 
the  most  sensational  book  in  the  history  of  the  world. 
Commenting  on  its  appearance,  James  Anthony  Froude 
wrote :  ''Never  was  a  volume  more  passionately  devoured. 
A  hundred  thousand  copies  were  soon  sold  in  France 
alone.  The  fire  spread  as  it  spread  behind  Samson's 
foxes  in  the  Philistine's  corn.  The  clergy's  skins  were 
tender  from  long  impunity.  They  shrieked  from  pulpit 
and  platform,  and  made  Europe  ring  with  their  clamor. 
The  more  loudly  they  cried,  the  more  Europe  perceived 
the  justice  of  their  chastisement.  The  words  of  the  Bible 
have  been  so  long  familiar  to  us  that  we  can  hardly  realize 


^Llewellyn  J.  M.  Bebb  in  Hastings'  Dictionary  of  the  Bible. 


History  of  the  Scriptures.  15 

what  the  effect  must  have  been  when  the  Gospel  was 
brought  out  fresh  and  visible  before  the  astonished  eyes 
of  mankind." 

Speaking  of  the  historic  conditions  of  Christianity  in 
Europe  at  that  period,  Froude  continues :  "The  Chris- 
tian religion  as  taught  and  practiced  in  Western  Europe 
consisted  of  the  mass  and  the  confessional,  of  elaborate 
ceremonials,  rituals,  processions,  pilgrimages,  prayers  to 
the  Virgin  and  the  saints,  with  dispensations  and  indul- 
gences for  laws  broken  or  duties  left  undone.  Of  the 
Gospels  and  Epistles  so  much  only  was  known  to  the  laity 
as  was  read  in  the  Church  services,  and  that  intoned,  as  if 
to  be  purposely  unintelligible  to  the  understanding.  Of 
the  rest  of  the  Bible  nothing  was  known  at  all,  because 
nothing  was  supposed  to  be  necessary,  and  lectures  like 
Colet's  at  Oxford  were  considered  superfluous  and  dan- 
gerous. Copies  of  the  Scriptures  were  rare,  shut  up  in 
convent  libraries,  and  studied  only  by  professional  theo- 
logians, while  conventional  interpretations  were  attached 
to  the  text  which  corrupted  or  distorted  its  meaning. 
Erasmus  had  undertaken  to  give  the  Book  to  the  whole 
w^orld  to  read  for  itself — the  original  Greek  of  the  Epistles 
and  Gospels,  with  a  new  Latin  translation — to  wake  up 
the  intelligence,  to  show  that  the  words  had  a  real  sense 
and  were  not  mere  sounds  like  the  dronings  of  a  barrel- 
organ.  ...  It  was  finished  at  last,  text  and  trans- 
lation printed,  and  the  living  facts  of  Christianity,  the 
persons  of  Christ  and  the  apostles,  their  history,  their 
lives,  their  teaching  were  revealed  to  an  astonished  world. 
For  the  first  time  the  laity  were  able  to  see,  side  by  side, 
the  Christianity  which  converted  the  world  and  the  Chris- 
tianity of  the  Church  with  a  Borgia  pope,  cardinal  princes. 


i6  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

ecclesiastical  courts  and  a  mythology  of  lies.  The  effect 
was  to  be  a  spiritual  earthquake. "^- 

In  1522  Luther  sent  forth  from  Wittenberg  his  trans- 
lation of  the  New  Testament  into  German,  and  in  1534 
the  entire  Bible  from  the  original  tongues,  although  four- 
teen editions  of  the  entire  Bible  into  German  preceded 
Luther's  translation.^^  His,  however,  established  both 
the  German  language  and  the  Protestant  Reformation. 
William  Tyndale,  an  English  scholar,  who  fluently  spoke 
seven  different  languages,  in  controversy  with  a  priest 
said,  "If  God  spares  my  life,  ere  many  years  I  will  cause 
a  boy  that  driveth  a  plow  shall  know  more  of  the  Scrip- 
tures than  thou  doest,"  and  in  1525  or  1526  his  version 
into  English  appeared  at  Worms,  because  it  was  not  safe 
to  print  it  in  England,  whence  it  was  carried,  however, 
after  its  publication  on  the  continent. 

Tyndale  was  arrested  in  Belgium,  convicted  of  crime 
for  publishing  the  Bible  into  the  common  tongue  and  was 
put  to  death  by  strangulation  and  his  body  was  burned  at 
Brussels,  October  6,  1536,  while  in  England  his  translation 
of  the  Bible  was  being  burned  publicly  at  the  command  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  authorities,  which  is  described  as  fol- 
lows by  the  historian,  J.  R.  Green  :  '*  'With  six  and  thirty 
abbots,  mitred  priors  and  bishops,  and  he  in  his  whole 
pomp  mitred,'  the  Cardinal  (Wolsey)  looked  on  while 
'great  baskets  full  of  books  .  .  .  were  commanded 
after  the  great  fire  was  made  before  the  Rood  of  North- 
ern,' the  crucifix  by  the  great  door  of  the  Cathedral,  'thus 
to  be  burned,  and  those  heretics  to  go  thrice  about  the 
fire  and  to  cast  in  their  fagots.'  "1* 


'Fronde's  Life  and  Letters  of  Erasmus. 
'Philip  Schaff  in  his  Dictionary  of  the  Bible. 
^Green's  History  of  the  English  People. 


History  of  the  Scriptures.  17 

The  year  before  Tyndale's  death — 1535 — Miles  Cover- 
dale  made  a  translation  of  the  Scriptures  into  EngHsh 
from  the  German  and  Latin  and  dedicated  it  to  Henry 
Vni.  This  was  the  first  time  the  entire  Bible  had  been 
given  complete  in  the  common  tongue  of  England,  and, 
commenting  on  it,  Taine  said :  "Henry  VHI  at  last  per- 
mitted the  English  Bible  to  be  published.  Every  one  who 
could  buy  this  Book  either  read  it  assiduously  or  had  it 
read  to  him  by  others,  and  many  well  advanced  in  years 
learned  to  read  with  the  same  object.  On  Sunday  the 
poor  folk  gathered  at  the  bottom  of  the  churches  to  hear 
it  read.  Maldon,  a  young  man,  afterwards  related,  that 
he  had  clubbed  his  earnings  with  an  apprentice  to  buy  a 
New  Testament,  and  that  for  fear  of  his  father,  they  had 
hidden  it  in  their  straw  mattress.  .  .  .  Try  to  picture  these 
yeomen,  these  shopkeepers,  who  in  the  evening  placed  this 
Bible  on  their  table,  and,  bareheaded,  with  veneration  heard 
or  read  one  of  its  chapters.  Think  that  they  had  no  other 
books,  that  theirs  was  a  virgin  mind,  that  every  impres- 
sion would  make  a  furrow,  that  the  monotony  of  mechan- 
ical existence  rendered  them  open  to  new  emotions,  that 
they  opened  this  Book,  not  for  amusement,  but  to  discover 
in  it  their  doom  of  life  and  death. "^^ 

Then  appeared  the  Matthew's  Bible,  which  was  a  trans- 
lation based  on  the  labors  of  Tyndale  and  Coverdale,  by 
John  Rogers,  who  for  concealment  took  the  name  of 
Thomas  Matthew,  but  for  the  work  of  this  translation  he 
was  burned  at  the  stake  on  the  order  of  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic sovereign,  Queen  Mary.  In  1539  Richard  Taverner's 
translation  appeared,  and  in  the  same  year  appeared  the 
Great  Bible,  so  called  because  of  its  size,  which  was  9x15 


'Hippolyte  Adolphe  Taine  in  his  History  of  English  Literature. 


i8  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

inches,  and  which  was  based  on  Matthew's  translation. 
The  next  year  a  new  edition  of  this  was  called  for,  to  be 
used  in  all  the  Churches  of  England,  and  it  was  called 
"Cranmer's  Bible,"  because  it  contained  a  preface  by  that 
Archbishop.  It  was  also  called  *'the  Chained  Bible,"  be- 
cause it  was  chained  to  the  pulpit. 

In  1557  William  Wittingham's  translation  into  EngUsh 
appeared  from  Geneva,  and  three  years  later  the  Geneva 
Bible  appeared,  which  was  the  combined  work  of  Witting- 
ham,  Sampson  and  Gilby.  It  was  the  first  English  Bible 
to  be  marked  by  verses  according  to  the  system  of  Robert 
Stephens ;  also  chapters  as  we  have  them  now  were  used. 
Words  supplied  in  the  text  were  marked  by  italics.  This 
Bible,  which  passed  through  one  hundred  and  sixty  edi- 
tions, and  which  was  dedicated  to  Queen  Elizabeth,  is 
sometimes  called  the  "Breeches  Bible,"  from  the  rendering 
of  Gen.  3  :  7 — "They  sewed  fig-tree  leaves  together  and 
made  themselves  breeches."  It  was  the  first  Bible  that 
was  printed  in  Scotland  (1576-79),  and  it  held  a  mighty 
influence  throughout  England.  In  1568  there  appeared 
the  Bishops'  Bible,  so  called  from  the  number  of  bishops 
that  worked  on  it.  Archbishop  Parker  being  the  chief. 

As  the  Protestants  had  to  flee  from  England  when  the 
Catholics  were  in  power,  the  Catholics  sometimes  had  to 
flee  when  the  Protestants  were  in  power,  and  several  Eng- 
lish Romanists — x\llen,  Martin  and  Bristow — fled  to 
France,  and,  in  order  to  fight  the  Protestants  with  their 
own  weapons,  there  they  brought  out  a  translation  of  the 
Scriptures  under  the  patronage  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Archbishop  of  France  at  Rheims  in  1582,  and  the  entire 
Bible  at  Douai  in  1609-10,  accompanied  with  bitter  at- 
tacks on  Protestantism  and  strong  defenses  of  Catholi- 
cism.    This  is  called  the  Rheims  and  Douai  Bible,  and  it  is 


History  of  the  Scriptures.  19 

regarded  as  inferior  in  scholarship  in  comparison  with 
Protestant  versions.  It  was  based  on  the  Vulgate  trans- 
lation. Of  the  present  Roman  Catholic  Bible  Cardinal 
Wiseman  said,  ''To  call  the  Roman  Catholic  version  now 
in  use  the  version  of  Rheims  and  Douai  is  an  abuse  of 
terms.  It  has  been  altered  and  modified  till  scarcely  any 
verse  remains  as  it  was  originally  published;  and  so  far 
as  simplicity  and  energy  of  style  are  concerned,  the 
changes  are  in  general  for  the  worse."  The  comments  ac- 
companying it  are  m^uch  milder  than  in  the  original 
Rheims  and  Douai  version.  In  1887  Lassere  brought  out 
a  translation  for  the  Roman  Catholics,  and  it  has  passed 
through  more  than  twenty  editions. 

All  these  translations,  except  the  "Great  Bible,"  had  ap- 
peared with  notes,  but  a  new  epoch  was  now  at  hand. 
James  I,  who  had  just  come  to  the  throne  of  England, 
and  although  not  particularly  noted  for  piety,  had  called 
a  council  at  Hampton  Court  to  discuss  the  conditions  of 
Church  affairs  in  the  kingdom,  when  President  Reynolds 
of  Corpus  Christi  College,  Oxford,  suggested  a  new  trans- 
lation of  the  Scriptures.  It  met  with  royal  favor,  and  his 
Majesty  ordered  that  it  should  appear  without  comment. 
Forty-seven  scholars,  although  fifty-four  were  originally 
appointed,  were  set  to  the  task,  and  after  two  years  and 
nine  months,  consulting  all  former  translations,  both 
Protestant  and  Catholic,  the  Authorised  Version  was  pub- 
lished in  1611,  and  being  dedicated  to  his  Majesty,  it  is 
commonly  called  "King  James'  Version,"  although  "King 
James'  version  never  cost  King  James  a  farthing."  He 
held  out  to  the  revisers  ecclesiastical  honors,  the  universi- 
ties gave  them  board  and  lodging  free,  and  from  the  sta- 
tioners they  received  30  shillings  a  week.  It  was  the 
work  of  the  best  scholarship  of  that  day,  and  it  has  been 


20  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

rightly  called  "the  first  of  English  classics."  Archbishop 
Ussher's  chronology  was  first  used  in  Bishop  Lloyd's  edi- 
tion of  this  version,  which  appeared  in  1701.  Later  Fred- 
erick H.  A.  Scrivener  brought  out  a  classic  edition  of  this 
version  marked  in  paragraphs,  and  it  is  known  as  the 
Cambridge  Paragraph  Bible. 

In  1870  another  movement  was  inaugurated  for  the 
translation  of  the  Scriptures,  and  according  to  Philip 
Schaff,  chairman  of  the  American  committee,  a  revision 
of  the  King  James  version  was  sought  rather  than  a  new 
version.  A  committee  of  English  scholars  undertook  the 
work,  and  later  an  American  committee  was  solicited  to 
sit  with  them.  They  spent  forty  days  a  year  on  the  New 
Testament  for  ten  and  a  half  years,  and  fifty-six  days  a 
year  for  fourteen  years  on  the  Old  Testament.^''' 


^"The  following  rules  controlled  the  action  of  the  revisers : 

"(i)  To  introduce  as  few  alterations  as  possible  in  the  text  of 
the  Authorized  Version  consistently  with  faithfulness. 

"(2)  To  limit,  as  far  as  possible,  the  expression  of  such  altera- 
tions to  the  language  of  the  Authorized  and  earlier  English  ver- 
sions. 

"(3)  Each  company  to  go  twice  over  the  portion  to  be  re- 
vised— once  provisionally,  the  second  time  finally,  and  on  prin- 
ciples of  voting  as  hereinafter  is  provided. 

"(4)  That  the  text  to  be  adopted  be  that  for  which  the  evi- 
dence is  decidedly  preponderating ;  and  that  when  the  text  so 
adopted  differs  from  that  from  which  the  Authorized  Version  was 
made,  the  alteration  be  indicated  in  the  margin. 

"(5)  To  make  or  retain  no  change  in  the  text  on  the  second 
final  revision  by  each  company  except  tzvo-thirds  of  those  present 
approve  of  the  same,  but  on  the  first  revision  to  decide  by  simple 
majorities. 

"(6)  In  every  case  of  proposed  alteration  that  may  have  given 
rise  to  discussion,  to  defer  the  voting  thereupon  till  the  next  meet- 
ing whensoever  the  same  shall  be  required  by  one-third  of  those 
present  at  the  meeting,  such  intended  vote  to  be  announced  in  the 
notice  for  the  next  meeting. 

"(7)  To  revise  the  headings  of  chapters,  pages,  paragraphs, 
italics  and  punctuation. 

"(8)  To  refer,  on  the  part  of  each  company,  when  considered 
desirable,  to  divines,  scholars  and  literary  men,  whether  at  home 
or  abroad  for  their  opinions." 


History  of  the  Scriptures.  21 

On  May  17,  1881,  the  New  Testament  appeared  amid  a 
storm  of  enthusiasm,  and  on  May  19,  1885,  the  Old  Testa- 
ment appeared,  and  ten  years  later  they  published  a  trans- 
lation of  the  Apocrypha. 

The  Revised  Version  was  a  decided  improvement  on  all 
former  versions.  Paragraphs  instead  of  verses  were  made 
prominent,  the  poetical  books  of  the  Old  Testament  were 
published  in  poetical  arrangement,  and  while  there  were 
5788  different  renderings  as  compared  with  the  King 
James  version,  none  of  them  affected  any  vital  principle. 
The  American  committee  insisted  on  other  changes,  but 
the  English  committee,  which  had  the  deciding  power, 
compromised  by  publishing  the  American  committee's 
corrections  as  an  appendix  for  a  term  of  fourteen  years, 
when  the  American  committee  would  have  the  right  to 
enter  their  corrections  in  the  body  of  the  text.  This  was 
agreeable  to  the  American  committee,  and  with  a  further 
revision  the  American  Standard  Edition,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  American  committee,  appeared  in  1901,  and,  in 
the  judgment  of  most  scholars,  it  is  by  far  the  best  trans- 
lation of  the  Scriptures  that  has  ever  been  made.  They 
changed  some  of  the  paragraphing  of  the  English  com- 
mittee, inserted  the  figures  of  the  verses  in  the  body  of  the 
text,  adopted  "Jehovah"  for  God  and  Lord  in  the  Old 
Testament,  Jehovah  being  peculiar  to  Israel;  substituted 
"Holy  Spirit"  for  "Holy  Ghost,"  dropped  all  obsolete 
words,  gave  alternate  renderings  in  footnotes  and  put  the 
subjects  at  the  top  of  the  pages.  Besides  the  excellence  of 
this  last  revision,  under  Protestant  influence  alone,  the 
Bible  is  now  translated  into  nearly  four  hundred  different 
languages  and  dialects,  so  that  at  this  time  every  nation 
can  read  the  Gospel  in  its  own  native  tongue. 

This  is  a  wonderful  history.    Following  the  twelfth  and 


22  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

thirteen  centuries,  the  Roman  Catholics  fought  every 
attempt  to  give  the  Bible  to  the  common  people,  and  when 
any  edition  from  that  time  to  this  has  ever  appeared  from 
any  of  their  presses  it  has  been  accompanied  with  notes 
setting  forth  the  interpretation  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church.  In  the  Netherlands,  as  in  other  parts  of  Europe, 
it  was  punishable  with  death  by  burning  at  the  stake  for 
one  to  have  in  his  possession  a  copy  of  the  Bible  in  the 
language  which  he  could  understand;^'  Hkewise  such  a 
law  prevailed  in  England  down  to  the  time  of  Henry  VIII 
and  his  break  with  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  it 
reappeared  in  the  reign  of  Mary.^^  How  different  is  the 
account  in  the  book  of  Acts,  when  in  the  preaching  of  the 
first  Gospel  sermon  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  the  apostles 
were  given  miraculous  power  to  speak  in  the  native  lan- 
guage of  every  man  present,  so  that  all  might  have  a  clear 
understanding  of  God's  message. ^'^ 

In  the  Council  of  Trent,  in  the  sixteenth  century,  it  was 
decreed  that  whosoever  should  presume  to  read  the  Bible 
in  his  native  language  would  not  receive  absolution  until 
he  surrendered  the  Book — burning  of  the  body  here  and 
torment  hereafter ;  but  in  spite  of  all  laws  and  heresy  trials 
and  penalty  of  death  and  priestly  prohibition  of  entrance 
into  Heaven,  the  Bible  was  read,  and  in  some  instances 
men  of  wealth  paid  as  much  as  "100,000  pieces  of  money" 
for  a  single  copy. 

The  Roman  Catholics  claimed  the  Church  was  the  in- 
fallible authority  in  matters  of  faith  and  morals,  but  to 
thousands  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  had  become  so  im- 
moral and  had  so  lost  her  faith  that  the  claim  was  revolt- 
ing, and  the  great  Protest  occurred  w^hen  thousands  sought 


"John  Lothrop  Motley  in  his  Rise  of  the  Dutch  Republic. 
^^The  Bible — Its  Meaning  and  Supremacy,  by  F.  W.  Farrar. 
'^Acts  2:  i-ii. 


History  of  the  Scriptures.  23 

the  Scriptures,  as  many  had  always  done,  as  the  only  in- 
fallible authority  in  matters  of  faith  and  morals.  While 
the  bitterness  is  not  so  great  to-day,  this  is  still  the  wide  dif- 
ference between  Protestantism  and  Catholicism. 

The  entrance  of  the  Bible  has  given  light.  That  it  has 
created  languages  is  proven  by  the  influence  of  Wyclif's 
translation  on  English  literature,  Luther's  translation  on 
German  literature,  and  other  translations  on  every  dialect 
of  Europe.  Old  monuments  speak  and  books  of  worth  in 
all  languages  have  got  their  mould  from  the  sacred  page. 
But  more  than  this ;  it  is  the  only  book  that  lights  the  way 
through  this  world  and  into  the  widening  pathway  of  the 
world  to  come.  It  gives  to  mankind  comfort,  peace  and 
hope.  It  is  truly  the  Word  of  God ;  and  had  we  more  diffi- 
culty in  securing  its  secrets,  our  age  would  perhaps  far 
exceed  present  conditions  in  piety  and  service. 

Study  of  the  Scriptures. — There  is  nothing  so  im- 
portant in  human  life  as  study  of  the  Scriptures.  One  may 
neglect  his  health  or  neglect  his  business,  but  the  most 
ruinous  thing  to  an  individual  is  neglecting  the  Scriptures. 
It  is  the  basis  of  health,  business,  education,  morals  and 
religion.  Church  membership,  church  attendance,  church 
activity — none  of  these  things  can  be  substituted  for  per- 
sonal study  of  the  Word  of  God. 

The  study  of  the  Scriptures  has  been  divided  into  two 
branches — textual,  which  has  to  do  with  the  text  itself  and 
its  interpretation,  and  literary,  which  has  to  do  with  its 
literary  characteristics  and  the  circumstances  of  its  origin. 
Under  this  latter  the  Old  Testament  canon  was  first 
formed,  then  the  New  Testament  canon  and  the  final  re- 
jection of  the  Apocrypha  by  the  scholars  of  the  Reforma- 
tion, because  it  was  not  recognized  by  the  most  conserva- 
tive Jews,  who  were  certainly  the  best  authorities  on  their 


24  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

own  sacred  writings.  The  greatest  prudence,  however, 
should  govern  every  student  in  the  study  of  the  Scriptures, 
and  at  no  time  should  he  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  the 
purpose  of  study  is  to  know  God  better  and  incorporate 
His  Divine  principles  as  written  in  the  Scriptures  into  his 
own  life. 

In  the  study  it  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  these  general 
rules:  (i)  The  historical  circumstances,  which  refers  to 
the  title,  place,  date,  occasion  and  author ;  (2)  the  contents, 
which  refers  to  the  general  subject,  the  writer,  those  to 
whom  spoken,  their  prejudices  and  religious  relations; 
(3)  dispensational  truth,  which  refers  to  statements  re- 
lating to  the  Primeval,  Patriarchal,  Mosaic,  Christian, 
Millennial  and  Eternity  periods,  for  all  these  dispensations 
or  periods  differ  widely  in  circumstances;  (4)  the  general 
divisions,  which  refers  to  the  division  between  the  Old 
and  New  Testaments  and  the  four  divisions  in  each;  (5) 
the  common  usage  of  words  and  terms,  and  do  not  push 
the  point  of  comparison  in  parables,  symbols  and  allegories 
beyond  the  point  that  is  being  illustrated ;  (6)  the  practicing 
of  the  principles  in  the  Scriptures  is  the  best  expression  of 
personal  love  to  God  and  essential  to  one's  salvation.  "Ye 
shall  know  the  truth,  and  the  truth  shall  make  you  free."^* 

There  are  a  dozen  or  more  methods  of  study,  and  all  of 
them  have  merit,  only  it  is  important  to  study  the  Bible 
as  a  whole  and  to  become  familiar  with  the  message  of 
each  book.  In  the  preparation  of  this  volume  it  has  been 
sought  to  make  the  Scriptures  themselves  the  object  of 
study.  The  text  at  the  opening  of  each  chapter  in  this 
book  furnish  a  brief  of  the  leading  thoughts  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Scriptures  of  that  division  which  is  discussed 
in  the  chapter,  while  the  prayer  at  the  close  is  a  meditation. 


^^John  8:32. 


Study  of  the  Scriptures.  25 

opening  the  way  for  personal  application  of  the  prin- 
ciples in  that  division  to  the  individual  life.  The  questions 
are  to  be  carefully  studied  both  by  familiarizing  one's  self 
with  the  Scriptures  referred  to  and  the  chapter  in  this  book 
preceding  the  question,  using  always  the  six  rules  in  the 
preceding  paragraph. 

The  markings  will  be  found  very  helpful,  and  they  give 
increased  worth  to  your  Bible.  The  imdermark  means 
that  it  is  the  leading  thought  of  the  book,  and  either  a 
single  word  or  the  whole  verse  is  undermarked,  as  follows : 

17  Think  not  that  I  came  to 
destroy  the  law  or  the" prophets : 
I  came  not  to  destroy,  but  to 
fulfil.     18   For   verily   1    say   unto  — Mt.  5  :  17. 

The  mark  means  that  it  is  likewise  a  leading  thought, 
but  perhaps  not  so  prominent  as  the  verse  that  is  under- 
marked,  and  the  verse  is  marked  as  follows : 

ask  him.  9  '^  After  this  manner\ 
-^therefore  pray  ye:  Our  Father  I 
I  who  art  in  heaven,  Hallowed  be/ 
ythyname.    10  *Thy  kingdom  come.     — Mt.  6  :  9. 

There  are  many  Scripture  passages  that  apply  with 
great  force  to  the  heart  personally,  as  though  meant  for  no 
one  else  but  the  person  who  is  reading  them,  and  so  to 
make  this  more  emphatic  to  the  reader  the  undermark  and 
the  mark  are  combined  in  the  personal  mark,  as  follows: 

21  w^Not  every  one  that  aaith  unto  \ 

(me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into  the  1 
kingdom  of  heaven ;  but  he  that  ! 
doeth  the  will  £f  my  Father  who  is  ' 
in  heaven.     22  «  Many  will  say  to       — Mt.  7  :  21. 

All  references  to  the  sufferings  of  Christ  are  marked  on 
the  margin  by  the  side  of  the  verse  with  a  cross — ^; 


26  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

and  all  references  to  His  second  coming  may  likewise  be 
marked  on  the  margin  by  the  side  of  the  verse  with  a  cross 
crowned — (:J> ;  and  all  references  to  prayer  may  also  be 
m.arked  on  the  margin  by  the  side  of  the  verse  with  the 
letter  p.  Thereby  at  a  single  glance  of  the  eye  one  can 
see  on  a  page  what  references  there  are  to  the  sufferings 
of  Christ,  His  second  coming  and  the  blessed  boon  of 
prayer. 

The  divisions  of  the  book  should  be  marked  on  the  mar- 
gin in  Roman  numerals — I,  H,  etc. — as  indicated  in  each 
chapter  study,  and  the  name  of  the  division  may  be  written 
on  the  margin  immediately  following  the  Roman  numeral. 
If  one  cares  to,  the  names  of  the  chapters  may  also  be 
written  on  the  margin  close  to  the  beginning  of  the  chap- 
ter. All  these  are  only  suggestions.  Some  may  prefer 
stating  the  thoughts  of  the  divisions  and  the  chapters  in 
different  phraseology,  as  some  may  prefer  to  include  some 
verses  not  included  in  the  markings  or  omit  some  that  have 
been  included.  This  is  entirely  secondary.  To  study  the 
Word  and  practice  its  principles  hold  priority  over  every- 
thing else.  The  Father  has  made  known  to  us  the  secrets 
of  His  heart,  and  to  think  His  thoughts  is  an  undeniable 
mark  of  kinship  that  makes  the  soul  realize  its  dignity  and 
worth,  and  at  the  same  time  to  know  its  dependence  upon 
Him  and  the  necessitv  of  absolute  obedience  to  His  will. 


My  Father,  I  am  a  child  of  Thy  love.  In  the  conscious- 
ness of  my  weakness  I  have  cried  unto  Thee,  and  out  of 
Thy  mercy  Thou  hast  had  compassion.  In  my  poor, 
dimmiCd  vision  I  see  only  the  rude  outlines  of  Thy  good- 
ness and  power,  along  with  the  possibilities  of  my  soul, 
and  this  makes  me  cry  unto  Thee  but  the  more,  for  I  can- 


Study  of  the  Scriptures.  27 

not  attain  unto  Thy  heights  without  Thy  help.  Teach  my 
heart  the  knowledge  of  the  Word,  and  as  Thou  wast 
burned  when  thousands  of  copies  of  Thy  Book  were  con- 
signed to  the  flames,  let  me  see  that  Thou  art  neglected 
when  my  Bible  remains  unused,  and  that  all  the  springs 
of  my  spirituality  dry  up  wlien  the  fountains  of  Thy  rruth 
cease  to  play  within  me.  Give  me  open-mindedness  to  re- 
ceive fully  Thy  Word  and  courage  to  practice  it.  Then  I 
shall  both  know  Thee  and  be  known  by  Thee,  and  Jesus 
and  I  shall  walk  together.    Amen. 


Questions. 


I.  Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 
opening  of  this  chapter.  2.  Give  the  substance  of  the  appreciation 
of  Scriptural  study  as  expressed  by  Mr.  Cleveland.  3.  Give  the 
names  of  the  others  and  a  single  expression  of  their  appreciation. 
4.  What  of  the  influence  of  the  Scriptures  on  literature,  art  and 
oratory?  5.  What  of  its  further  influence?  6.  Because  of  this 
unquestioned  influence,  what  should  every  person  do  ?  7.  What 
of  theology  as  a  substitute  for  the  Scriptures?  8.  What  of  the 
arrangement  of  the  New  Testament  according  to  books  ?  9.  What 
of  the  four  Gospels?  10.  What  of  the  book  of  Acts?  11.  What 
of  the  symbols  of  Ezekiel's  vision?  12.  What  of  the  division  in 
public  reading?  13.  What  of  the  authority  of  these  books?  14. 
What  of  inspiration?  15.  What  of  the  material  upon  which  the 
Scriptures  were  first  written?  16.  What  of  the  codices?  17.  What 
of  the  copying  of  the  Scriptures?  18.  What  of  the  chapters  and 
verses?  19.  What  of  the  estabhshing  of  the  New  Testament 
canon?  20.  Give  an  account  of  the  Syriac  and  other  early  ver- 
sions, including  the  Egyptian.  21.  Give  an  account  of  the  first 
EngHsh  translation  and  the  conditions  leading  to  it.  22.  What  of 
the  first  printing?  23.  What  of  the  work  of  Erasmus  and  the 
conditions  of  that  period?  24.  What  of  Luther  and  Tyndale's 
translations?  25.  What  of  Coverdale's  translations?  26.  What 
of  the  next  six  translations?  27.  What  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
translations  ?     28.  Give  an  account  of  the  three  succeeding  ver- 


28  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

sions.  29.  Following  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth  centuries,  what 
has  been  the  Roman  Catholics'  policy  toward  giving  the  Scrip- 
tures to  the  people?  30.  What  is  the  wide  difference  between 
Protestantism  and  CathoHcism?  31.  What  was  the  Bible's  great 
service  to  languages  and  mankind?  32.  Can  anything  be  substi- 
tuted for  personal  study  of  the  Bible  ?  33.  What  of  the  two  great 
branches  of  Bible  study  ?  34.  Give  in  brief  the  six  rules  for  Bible 
study.  35.  Explain  the  method  of  study  suggested  in  this  volume. 
36.  What  is  your  prayer  in  its  study? 


MATTHEW. 

I.     From  the  Birth  of  Jesus  to  His  Temptation.- 
1 : 1-4:  II. 


"Thou  shalt  call  His  name  Jesus,  for  it  is  He  that  shall  save  Hi: 
people  from  their  sins." — The  Angel  to  Joseph  (i :  21). 


"Jesus  was  born  in  Bethlehem  of  Judsea  in  the  days  of  Herod 
the  kmg."— Matthew  (2:1). 


"Repent  ye;  for  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  at  hand." — John  the 
Baptist  (3:2). 


"Jesus,  when  He  was  baptized,  went  up  straightway  from  the 
water :  and  lo,  the  heavens  were  opened  unto  Him  and  He  saw 
the  Spirit  of  God  descending  as  a  dove,  and  coming  upon  Him; 
and  lo,  a  voice  out  of  the  heavens,  saying,  This  is  my  beloved  Son, 
in  whom  I  am  well  pleased." — Matthew  (3:  16,  17). 


"It  is  written,  Man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every 
word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  God." — Reply  of  Jesus 
to  Satan's  First  Temptation  (4:4;  Du.  8:3). 


"Again  it  is  written,  Thou  shalt  not  make  trial  of  the  Lord  thy 
God." — Reply  of  Jesus  to  Satan's  Second  Temptation  (4:7; 
Du.  6:  16). 


"Get  thee  hence,  Satan :  for  it  is  written.  Thou  shalt  worship 
the  Lord  thy  God,  and  Him  only  shalt  thou  serve." — Reply  of 
Jesus  to  Satan's  Third  Temptation  (4:  10;  Du.  6:  13). 


MATTPIEW. 

I.    From  the  Birth  of  Jesus  to  His  Temptation. — 
1 :  1-4:  II. 

The  Book. — The  Old  Testament  closed  with  the  many- 
voiced  prophecy  predicting  the  coming  of  the  Messiah ; 
the  New  Testament  opened  declaring  that  He  had 
come.  Neither  the  Old  nor  the  New  Testament  takes  into 
consideration  the  long  period  between  the  closing  of  one 
and  the  opening  of  the  other,  but  the  Gospel  of  Matthew 
is  "an  illuminated  bridge  of  inspired  truth"  flung  over  the 
chasm  between  the  Old  and  the  New  Dispensation  "to 
show,"  said  Farrar,  "that  the  Lord  of  the  Christian  was 
the  ^vlessiah  of  the  Jew."  There  are  sixty-five  quotations 
from  the  Old  Testament  in  the  Gospel  of  Matthew — nearly 
three  times  as  many  as  in  any  of  the  other  Gospels — serv- 
ing as  so  many  rivets  to  bind  together  the  Old  and  the  New 
Testament.     The  book  is  a  biography  of  Jesus,  recorded 


Markings. — Undermark,  1:1,  20;  2:16;  3:1,  2,  16,  17;  4:1; 
also  undermark  the  words  "Bethlehem"  and  "Wise-men"  in  2:1; 
"star"  in  2  :  2 ;  "Nazareth"  in  2  :  23  ;  "Jordan"  in  3  :  5. 

Mark,  i :  17 ;  2  :  9 ;  3  :  8,  9 ;  4 :  4,  7,  10. 

Personal  mark,  i :  21. 

Divisions. — This  book  is  divided  as  follows :  I.  From  the  Birth 
of  Jesus  to  His  Temptation  (i:  1-4:  11)  ;  II.  Early  Ministry  of 
Jesus  in  Galilee  (4:  12-7:29);  III.  Later  Ministry  of  Jesus  in 
Galilee  (8-18)  ;  IV.  The  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Per^ea,  Judaea  and 
Jerusalem  (19-25):  V.  The  Trial,  Crucifixion  and  Resurrec- 
tion of  Jesus  (26-28). 

Names  of  chapters  in  the  first  division  :  i.  Genealogy  of  Jesus  ; 
2.  His  Birth  and  the  Wise-men;  3.  Ministry  of  John  the  Baptist; 
4.  Temptation. 

31 


32  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

by  an  eye-witness,  and  showing  by  Old  Testament  proph- 
ecy and  His  words  and  works  that  Jesus  is  the  Messiah. 

In  his  genealogical  table  Matthew  counts  from  Abra- 
ham, the  founder  of  the  Jewish  race,  and  David,  the 
greatest  of  the  Jewish  kings.  In  the  former  he  sees  the 
fulfilment  of  the  promise  that  "in  thee  shall  all  the  fami- 
lies of  the  earth  be  blessed ;"  in  the  latter  he  sees  that  the 
Heir  to  David's  throne  has  come.  Seven  times  he  calls 
Jesus  David's  son,  and  upon  nearly  every  page  there  ap- 
pears that  familiar  formula,  "that  it  might  be  fulfilled." 
He  alone  calls  Jerusalem  "the  Holy  City"  and  ''the  city  of 
the  Great  King."  Godet  termed  the  Gospel  of  Matthew 
''the  ultimatum  of  Jehovah  to  His  ancient  people :  recog- 
nize Jesus  as  your  Messiah  or  accept  Him  as  your  Judge.'' 
While  it  was  primarily  written  for  the  Jew,  it  is  not  Jew- 
ish in  any  narrow  sense,  for  in  the  genealogical  table  four 
foreigners  are  named  in  the  ancestral  line  of  Jesus — 
Tamar,  Rahab,  Ruth  and  Bathsheba ;  it  alone  mentions  the 
coming  of  the  Wise-men,  and  it  records  at  more  length 
than  any  of  the  other  Gospels  the  commission  of  Jesus  to 
evangelize  all  nations. 

The  larger  part  of  the  book  is  occupied  with  the  moral 
teachings  of  Jesus.  More  than  half  is  taken  up  with  His 
formal  addresses,  and  so  evident  was  this  to  the  early 
disciples  that  one  of  their  writers  called  the  Gospel  of 
Matthew  "The  Oracles."  Its  central  verse  is  7:  21.  Fully 
half  of  the  book  is  common  to  the  other  Gospels.  While 
it  is  not  always  chronological,  it  is  the  most  orderly  and 
systematic  of  all  the  Gospels.  Aramaic  was  the  Hebrew 
dialect  of  Palestine,  and  it  is  usually  regarded  as  the  lan- 
guage in  which  Jesus  spoke.  Early  tradition  affirms  that 
Matthew's  Gospel  was  written  in  this  vernacular. 
Irenaeus  of  the  second  century  said,  "Matthew  put  forth 


Matthew  i:  i  to  4:  ii.  33 

his  written  Gospel  among  the  Hebrews  in  their  own  dia- 
lect." Origen  of  the  third  century  said,  '1  have  learned 
by  tradition  concerning  the  four  Gospels,  which  alone  are 
received  without  dispute  by  the  Church  of  God  under 
heaven ;  the  first  was  written  by  St.  Matthew,  once  a  tax- 
gatherer,  afterwards  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  pub- 
lished it  for  the  benefit  of  the  Jewish  converts,  composed 
in  the  Hebrew  language."  However,  the  Aramaic  copy 
appears  to  have  perished  in  the  first  or  second  centuries, 
and  the  Greek  copy  was  most  -familiar  to  the  early  Church, 
and  it  is  the  one  from  which  our  English  translation  is 
taken.  Matthew  may  have  written  his  Gospel  in  both 
languages. 

The  Author  and  Date. — According  to  the  unanimous 
opinion  of  the  early  Church,  the  author  of  the  first  Gospel 
was  Matthew,  and  his  authorship  was  not  called  in  ques- 
tion through  succeeding  centuries  until  the  last  one  hun- 
dred years.  He  is  called  Levi  by  both  Mark^  and  Luke^, 
and  the  former  calls  him  the  son  of  Alphaeus.  Tradition 
affirms  that  he  was  a  brother  of  Thomas  and  a  kinsman  of 
Jesus. 

He  is  first  seen  sitting  at  the  place  of  toll  near  Caper- 
naum on  the  road  from  Damascus  to  the  Mediterranean 
Sea.  While  collecting  toll  was  profitable,  it  was  not  a 
very  honorable  position  in  the  eyes  of  his  Jewish  country- 
men, inasmuch  as  exorbitant  taxes  were  wrung  from  them 
for  their  foreign  oppressors  by  the  collector,  and  besides, 
the  office  was  stained  with  dishonesty.  A  tax-collector 
was  not  allowed  to  serve  as  a  witness,  and  one  making  an 
oath  to  him  was  not  under  obligations  to  keep  it.  On  their 
meeting  Jesus  said  to  Matthew,  ''Follow  me,"  and  his  only 
reply  was  immediate  obedience,  from  which  it  is  inferred 


^Mk.  2  :  14.     -Lu.  5  :  27. 


34  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

that  Matthew  had  heard  Jesus  before  or  had  heard  of  Him. 
On  his  decision  to  ally  himself  with  the  new  religious 
Teacher  he  gave  a  feast  in  His  honor, ^  doubtless  that  he 
might  confess  Jesus  before  his  old  comrades  and  fellow 
tax-collectors.  With  the  abandoning  of  his  former  pro- 
fession he  abandons  his  former  nam.e,  for,  like  Simon, 
henceforth  his  name  was  Matthew,  meaning  ''J^^ovah's 
gift,"  and  in  his  own  Gospel  he  uses  his  new  name  with 
the  despised  term  "publican"  attached,  a  renegade,  cor- 
responding somewhat  to  the  scallawags  in  the  South  in  the 
United  States  from  1865-70,  and  held  in  similar  con- 
tempt. In  the  official  list  of  the  apostles  Mark  calls  him 
by  this  new  name. 

In  his  Gospel  he  writes  of  no  incident  in  his  own  life; 
he  keeps  himself  in  the  background,  and  tradition  asserts 
that  he  was  an  ascetic  and  lived  on  herbs  and  water.  He 
is  last  seen  at  Pentecost,  and  then  he  disappears  from  the 
pages  of  sacred  history.  Tradition  says  that  he  preached 
for  fifteen  years  in  Judaea  and  then  went  to  foreign  nations, 
some  say  to  Ethiopia  and  others  to  Persia.  It  was  gen- 
erally believed  in  the  early  Church  that  he  died  a  natural 
death. 

Of  his  Gospel  Eusebius  wrote,  "Matthew,  after  writ- 
ing to  Hebrews  when  about  to  go  also  to  others,  commit- 
ted to  writing  in  his  native  tongue  the  Gospel  that  bears 
his  name,  and  so  by  his  writing  supi)lied  to  those  whom  he 
was  leaving  the  loss  of  his  presence."  The  date  is  any- 
where about  the  middle  of  the  first  century,  ranging  from 
48-69  A.  D.  By  many  it  is  regarded  as  the  earliest  of 
the  Gospels.  Some  are  of  the  opinion  that  it  was  writ- 
ten from  Palestine,  and  others  that  it  was  written  from 
Southern  Syria,  perhaps  Phoenicia. 


( 


^Mk.  2:  14-17. 


Matthew  i  :  i  to  4:  ii.  35 

The  lessons  of  this  first  division  are  considered  as  fol- 
lows: 

The  Genealogy  (i  :i-i7). — The  genealogy  was  copied 
from  some  Hebrew  register,  and  the  first  fourteen  persons 
were  patriarchs,  the  second  fourteen  were  kings,  and  the 
third  fourteen  were  heirs  to  David's  throne,  but  that 
throne  being  destroyed,  they  did  not  reign.  The  omis- 
sions, such  as  between  Joram  and  Uzziah,*  are  common  in 
Hebrew  writings  and  are  unimportant;  perhaps  they  are 
made  here  to  make  the  second  and  third  sections  to  con- 
form with  the  first  in  number.  The  purpose  of  this  table 
is  to  show  that  Jesus  descended  from  Abraham  through 
David,  as  predicted  in  the  Old  Testament. 

The  Betrothal  (i  :i8). — Engagement  has  always  pre- 
ceded marriage  in  all  conditions  of  our  race,  and  the 
betrothal  corresponded  somewhat  to  the  modern  marriage 
engagement.  It  was  a  formal  ceremony  sometimes  a  year 
before  marriage,  ratified  by  oaths,  and  it  could  only  be  set 
aside  by  a  paper  of  divorcement;^  or  if  the  woman  vio- 
lated her  vows  of  chastity  she  was  stoned  to  death.®  One 
of  the  most  beautiful  touches  in  this  first  division  is  the  ab- 
solute submission  to  the  Divine  leading  through  angels  and 
dreams  not  only  to  Joseph  and  Mary,  but  to  the  Gentile 
Wise-men  as  well. 

The  Supernatural  Birth  (i:  18-21). — The  birth  of 
Jesus  was  unlike  that  of  any  other  in  the  history  of  the 
world.  Said  the  Talmud,  which  consists  of  all  those 
Jewish  civil  and  canonical  laws  not  included  in  the  Old 
Testament,  "The  birth  of  the  Messiah  alone  shall  not  be 
like  that  of  any  other  creature,"  and  Isaiah  proclaimed 
that  his  mother  would  be  a  virgin.    "That  in  the  man  Jesus 


*i  Ch.  3 :  II,  12.  'Du.  24:  I.  *Dii.  22 :  23,  24. 


36  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Christ  the  Divine  nature  was  incarnate  is  an  essential  and 
fundamental  part  of  the  Christian  religion,"  said  Sir 
William  M.  Ramsay;  ''the  Word  was  made  flesh  and 
dwelt  among  us.  This  fundamental  principle  is  common 
to  all  the  four  Gospels,  and  to  the  New  Testament  as  a 
whole.  If  you  try  to  eliminate  it,  there  remains  prac- 
tically nothing;  that  is  the  result  clearly  demonstrated 
in  many  attempts  which  have  been  made  to  cut  out  the 
superhuman  and  Divine  from  the  life  of  Jesus  as  set  forth 
in  the  Gospels.  Some  scholars  who  have  made  the  at- 
tempt leave  us  a  slight,  trifling  reminder;  others  frankly 
confess  that  there  is  nothing  worth  notice  left;  others 
again  substitute  a  fanciful  romance  elaborated  out  of 
their  own  inner  consciousness  and  unsupported  by  an- 
cient authority  for  the  narrative  of  the  Gospels.  That 
Jesus  was  not  merely  human,  but  truly  superhuman  and 
Divine,  is  the  Christian  teaching  and  faith  and  belief,  and 
to  deny  that  is  to  separate  oneself  from  Christianity." 

He  was  born  in  the  }  ear  of  Rome  750,  from  which  all 
dates  were  regulated  at  that  time  and  for  some  years 
after.  In  the  sixth  century  Dionysius  Exiguus,  abbot  of 
a  monastery  in  Rome,  proposed  to  count  time  from  the 
birth  of  Christ  rather  than  from  the  founding  of  Rome, 
and  so  he  calculated  the  birth  of  Christ  to  have  been  754 
in  the  year  of  Rome,  which  he  named  i  A.  D.  (Anno 
Domini,  meaning"in  the  year  of  the  Lord"), but  later  years 
revealed  that  he  had  made  an  error  of  four  years,  and 
that  Christ  was  born  750  in  the  year  of  Rome,  which 
would  be  4  B.  C.  Be  that  as  it  may,  David  Smith  rightly 
calls  His  birth  ''the  watershed  of  history."  The  time  of 
the  year  is  unknown,  and  it  is  presumably  to  have  been 
any  other  time  than  the  winter.     The  reason  that  Decern- 


Matthew  i:  i  to  4:  ii.  37 

ber  25th  appears  to  have  been  named  was  that  toward  the 
close  of  that  month  the  Romans  kept  the  festival  of  the 
Saturnalia,  making  it  a  season  of  revelry,  peace  among 
themselves  and  exchanging  gifts  among  friends.  The 
slaves  were  granted  freedom  for  a  whole  day,  and  among 
this  class  were  many  Christians.  These  gave  themselves 
to  a  holy  festival,  celebrating  the  birth  of  Jesus,  who  had 
given  them  the  liberty  of  the  Gospel. 

Jesus  (1:21-23). — His  personal  name  is  the  EngHsh 
modification  of  the  Greek  form  of  the  Hebrew  name 
Joshua,  meaning  "Jehovah's  salvation,"  and  it  was  one  of 
the  most  sacred  and  heroic  names  in  Israel's  history,  but 
its  significance  has  to  do  with  the  future,  "for  it  is  He  that 
shall  save  His  people  from  their  sins."  Jesus  meant 
''Saviour,"  and  His  title  Christ  is  the  Greek  for  the  He- 
brew word  Messiah,  meaning  "the  Anointed  One,"  refer- 
ring to  His  office  as  Prophet,  Priest  and  King.  In  oppo- 
sition to  the  idea  that  God  was  far  away,  He  was  also 
called  Immannel,  meaning  "God  with  us."  Great  prin- 
ciples lie  in  each  of  these  words. 

Herod  (2  :i-i9). — Somewhat  of  a  half  Jew,  Herod  was 
a  descendant  of  Ishmael  by  his  mother  and  of  Esau  by  his 
father,  and  so  he  was  a  descendant  of  Abraham.  He  was, 
however,  despised  in  the  eyes  of  the  Jews  because  of  his 
half-blood  kinship.  He  was  an  Idumsean  usurper,  and 
held  his  throne  in  Jerusalem  by  the  favor  of  Rome.  He 
was  tyrannical,  suspicious  and  bloodthirsty,  killing  two 
high  priests,  his  uncle,  three  of  his  sons,  the  favorite  of 
his  ten  wives  and  thousands  of  others,  so  that  Augustus 
once  remarked,  "It  is  better  to  be  Herod's  hog  than  to  be 
his  son,"  for  being  of  Jewish  extraction  he  would  not  kill 
a  hog.  He  was  the  first  of  the  Herodian  kings,  and  was 
called  by  Josephus  "Herod  the  Great.'     He  enlarged  the 


38  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Temple,  making  it  among  the  first  buildings  of  the  world 
in  magnificence.  At  seventy  years  of  age  he  died  of  a 
dreadful  disease  in  his  palace  under  the  palm  trees  of 
Jericho,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord's  birth,  having  reigned 
thirty-seven  years  in  all,  and  thirty-four  in  Jerusalem. 

The  Wise-men  (2:  1-12). — Although  born  a  Jew,  the 
Gentiles  were  the  first  to  seek  Him,  for  the  Wise-men,  or 
the  Magi,  from  the  word  magician,  who  are  alone  men- 
tioned by  Matthew,  appear  to  have  been  priests  or  philos- 
ophers or  astrologers  from  Persia  or  the  valley  of  the 
Euphrates,  perhaps  disciples  of  Zoroaster,  doubtless  him- 
self a  Jew  or  a  half-blooded  kinsman  of  that  race,  who 
lived  in  Persia  about  1000  B.  C,  and  foretold  the  coming 
of  a  great  prophet  to  be  supernaturally  born,  and  a  later 
tradition  caused  them  to  believe  that  He  would  be  of  the 
seed  of  Abraham.  Augustine  and  Chrysostom  said  there 
were  twelve  Wise-men,  others  that  there  were  only  three, 
and  The  Venerable  Bede  of  the  eighth  century  gave  their 
names  and  appearances  as  follows :  Caspar  was  a  youth, 
Balthasar  was  in  the  prime  of  life  and  Melchior  was  old, 
wearing  a  long  white  beard.  Another  tradition  makes  the 
first  a  descendant  of  Ham,  the  second  a  descendant  of 
Japheth,  and  the  third  a  descendant  of  Shem.  In  the 
Middle  Ages  their  bodies  were  said  to  have  been  found, 
and  their  skulls  are  now  exhibited  in  the  cathedral  of 
Cologne.  At  a  time  when  religion  was  dead  and  super- 
stition was  rife  the  craft  of  the  Wise-men  was  held  in 
high  esteem,  but  later  they  degenerated  into  mere  for- 
tune tellers.  Their  coming  is  called  the  Epiphany,  or  the 
manifestation  of  Christ  to  the  Gentiles. 

The  Star  (2:2-10). — As  the  pillar  of  cloud  guided 
Israel  forty  years,  this  star  became  the  guide  to  the  Wise- 


Matthew  i:  i  to  4:  ii.  39 

men  for  perhaps  six  or  eight  months,  or  longer.  It  ap- 
peared and  reappeared,  and  doubtless  was  caused  by  a 
conjunction  of  planets,  as  Wieseler  and  other  great  as- 
tronomers affirmed  occurred  three  times  in  the  year  of 
Rome  750.^  It  was  a  Jewish  tradition  that  a  similar  con- 
junction and  a  star  preceded  the  birth  of  Moses.  Rabbi 
Abrabanel  of  the  fifteenth  century  affirmed  the  truth  of 
this  tradition,  and  said  that  another  conjunction  would  oc- 
cur at  the  Messiah's  birth,  and  as  this  conjunction  occur- 
red in  1463,  he  declared  the  near  approach  of  the  Messiah. 
This  idea  of  a  star  at  the  Messiah's  birth  was  eminent  in 
the  Jewish  mind.  Balaam  first  announced  it.^  A  century 
after  Christ,  Simeon,  who  appeared  as  a  false  Messiah, 
was  called  by  Rabbi  Akiba  Bar-cochha,  meaning  the  ''son 
of  a  star,"  and  a  star  was  stamped  on  his  coins,  but  on 
his  failure  to  arise  from  the  dead,  as  he  had  promised 
he  would  do,  he  was  called  Bar-coziba,  meaning  "the  son 
of  a  lie."  The  Talmud  said,  "The  star  shall  shine  forth 
from  the  East,  and  this  is  the  star  of  the  Messiah" ;  and 
the  orthodox  Jews  of  to-day  associate  a  star  with  the  ad- 
vent of  the  Messiah. 

Gold,  Frankincense  and  Myrrh  (2 :  11) . — The  Wise- 
men  worshipped  not  the  mother,  but  only  the  Child,  and 
gave  gifts.  The  first  was  a  gift  to  kings,  and  denoted 
royalty,  the  second  was  a  fragrant  gum  distilled  from  a 
tree  in  Arabia  and  Persia,  and  denoted  Deity,  and  the 
third  was  likewise  a  gum  produced  from  a  thorn  bush, 
chiefly  in  Arabia,  and  was  used  in  embalmment,  conse- 
quently denoting  humanity.  By  these  gifts,  which  could 
be  readily  turned  into  money,  the  necessary  means  was 
provided  for  their  flight  into  Egypt.     The  whole  scene 


^Conjunction  of  Jupiter  and  Saturn  with  Mars. 
*Nu.  24:  17. 


40  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

was   one   of   inexpressible   beauty,   which   Bishop   Heber 
touched  with  these  poetic  Hues : — 

"Brightest  and  best  of  the  sons  of  the  morning ! 
Dawn  on  our  darkness,  and  lend  us  thine  aid. 
Star  of  the  East,  the  horizon  adorning! 
^  Guide  where  our  infant  Redeemer  is  laid. 

"Cold  on  His  cradle  the  dewdrops  are  shining ; 
Low  lies  His  bed  with  the  beasts  of  the  stall; 
Angels  adore  Him,  in  slumber  reclining — 
Maker,  and  Monarch,  and  Saviour  of  all. 

"Say,  shall  we  yield  Him,  in  costly  devotion, 
Odors  of  Edom,  and  offerings  Divine — 
Gems  of  the  mountain,  and  pearls  of  the  ocean, 
Myrrh  from  the  forest,  and  gold  from  the  mine? 

"Vainly  we  offer  each  ample  oblation ; 

Vainly  with  gold  would  His  favor  secure : 
Richer  by  far  is  the  heart's  adoration ; 

Dearer  to  God  are  the  prayers  of  the  poor." 

Egypt  (2:  13-21). — About  three  hundred  miles  to  the 
southwest  was  Egypt,  which  was  the  nearest  Roman  prov- 
ince independent  of  Herod,  where  many  Jews  lived. 
Thither  they  went.  The  prophecy  refers  to  a  call  of  fifteen 
hundred  years  before  to  Israel  to  come  out  of  Egypt,^  and, 
like  nearly  all  the  prophecies,  there  was  a  larger  meaning 
than  in  its  mere  local  application,  and  usually  that  larger 
meaning  had  its  fulfilment  in  Jesus. 

Massacre  of  the  Chh^dren  (2:16-18). — Suetonius 
tells  in  his  history  of  a  prophecy  in  Rome  that  was  made 
shortly  before  the  birth  of  Augustus,  that  a  king  over  the 
Roman  people  would  be  born,  and  to  prevent  any  danger 
to  the  republic,  the  senate  directed  that  all  the  male  chil- 
dren born  that  year  should  be  killed  by  neglect  or  expos- 


^Hos.  II :  I. 


Matthew  i:  i  to  4:  ii.  41 

lire.  The  order  was  checked,  but  it  seemed  as  a  precedent 
to  the  suspicious  and  tyrannical  Herod.  Perhaps  the 
number  of  the  killed  did  not  exceed  twelve  or  fifteen,  and 
the  massacre  may  have  been  done  secretly.  Holman  Hunt 
made  this  the  subject  of  his  genius,  which  Ruskin  regarded 
as  the  greatest  picture  of  modern  times.  Ramah  was  a 
fortress  of  Judah  where  the  captives  were  placed  when 
Nebuchadrezzar  took  Jerusalem,  and  not  far  away  was 
the  tomb  of  Rachel,  who  was  represented  as  lifting  her 
head  in  great  grief  from  the  pillow  in  her  tomb,  first  refer- 
ring to  the  captives  and  second  to  the  massacre  of  infants 
in  Bethlehem  who  died  for  Him  who  was  to  die  for  all. 

Archelaus  (2:  22). — The  successor  of  Herod  was  his 
son  Archelaus.  In  confirming  him  Augustus  gave  him  the 
title  of  ethnarch,  and  if  he  proved  a  wise  ruler  he  would 
later  confer  on  him  the  title  of  king;  but  at  the  very  begin- 
ning of  his  reign  he  slaughtered  3000  of  his  countrymen 
in  the  Temple,  and  did  similar  acts  of  such  cruelty  that  one 
of  the  deputies,  in  his  complaint  to  Rome,  said,  "He  seems 
to  be  so  afraid  lest  he  should  not  be  deemed  Herod's  own 
son  that  he  took  special  care  to  make  his  acts  prove  it."  In 
a  few  years  he  was  banished  to  Gaul  because  of  his  crimes. 
His  dominion  was  Judaea,  Samaria  and  Idumsea,  and 
thereafter  a  Roman  governor  was  appointed  to  that  prov- 
ince, Coponius  being  the  first. 

John  the  Baptist  (3). — The  forerunner  of  Jesus  was 
among  the  greatest  of  the  Hebrew  prophets.  He  was  of 
a  priestly  family^^  and  was  himself  the  subject  of  proph- 
ecy.^^  John  the  Baptist  came  upon  his  mission  like  a 
whirlwind  as  suddenly  as  Elijah  did  from  the  highlands  of 
Gilead.     His  dress  and  food  were  like  that  of  the  people 


'Ln.  I.      "Isa.  40 :  3  ;  Mai.  3  :  i,  4, 


42  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

from  the  wilderness.  His  garment  was  woven  of  camel's- 
hair,  which  was  the  robe  of  the  prophets.^-  The  locust 
was  an  article  of  food.^^  They  were  eaten  by  being  roasted, 
or  boiled  in  water,  or  dried  in  the  sun.  The  head,  legs  and 
wings  being  taken  off,  the  body  was  ground  into  dust, 
which  was  eaten  by  being  mixed  with  honey ;  and  this  was 
in  abundance,  for  Palestine  had  long  been  famous  for  the 
quantity  of  bees  there.  This  furnished  the  common  food 
for  the  peasantry.  According  to  Andrews,  John  began 
his  ministry  on  a  Sabbatical  year  w^hen  the  people  were  at 
leisure.  He  worked  no  miracles,  but  he  was  "the  herald" 
and  "a  voice,"  making  "ready  the  w^ay  of  the  Lord,"  be- 
ginning his  work  in  the  thinly-inhabited  region  west  of  the 
Jordan.  It  appears  that  he  was  the  originator  under  God 
of  baptism,  hence  his  name  "the  Baptist" — meaning  not 
one  who  is  baptized,  but  rather  one  who  baptizes.  In  the 
Jewish  proselyte  baptism,  which  originated  before  this 
time,  a  man  dipped  himself,  and  this  ordinance  was  of 
human  origin  among  the  Jews.  Jesus  said  that  John  was 
the  Elijah  that  was  to  come.^* 

John's  Message  (s'-^,  6-io). — He  preached  repent- 
ance, confession  of  sins,  baptism,  and  the  near  approach 
of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  Repentance  was  more  than 
sorrow,  rather  a  decision  to  abandon  the  wrong,  a  change 
of  will  and  heart,  followed  by  a  change  of  life.  Confes- 
sion of  sins  was  a  public  acknowledgment  of  guilt.  It  was 
prerequisite  to  baptism,  which  was  the  public  announce- 
ment of  beginning  a  new  life.  The  near  approach  of  "the 
Kingdom  of  Heaven"  was  a  favorite  phrase  of  Matthew, 
meaning  the  rule  of  God  in  us  through  Jesus  Christ,  the 
heavenly  King  for  the  heavenly  Kingdom.  It  was  future, 
beginning  with  individual  surrender  and  culminating  in 


^Zech.  13  :  4.      "Lev.  11:22.      "Mt.  11 :  14. 


Matthew  i  :  i  to  4 :  i  i  .  43 

the  second  advent  of  Christ,  when  His  rule  shall  be  uni- 
versal. It  was  a  frequent  term  of  the  Jewish  rabbis,  re- 
ferring to  the  restoration  of  Israel  and  its  universal  su- 
premacy. John  rebuked  this  erroneous  conception  of  a 
worldly  empire  and  showed  that  the  Kingdom  was  to  be 
holiness  unto  Jehovah. 

The  Holy  Spirit  and  Fire  (3:  11-12). — The  baptism 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  fulfilled  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,^^ 
Since  fire  in  the  tenth  and  twelfth  verses  has  in  it  the  idea 
of  punishment,  Hre  in  the  eleventh  verse  appears  to  carry 
with  it  the  idea  of  suffering,  referring  either  to  our  trials 
and  sufferings  here^^  or  more  likely  to  the  final  punish- 
ment when  He  shall  sit  as  Judge.^' 

The  Baptism  of  Jesus  (3:13-17). — While  baptism 
was  for  sinners  and  Jesus  was  sinless,  He  takes  His  place 
among  the  sinners  in  His  baptism  as  He  did  on  the  Cross 
and  gives  to  all  ages  an  example  of  perfect  obedience. 
His  standing  in  the  Jordan,  preparatory  to  His  baptism,  is 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  pictures  in  the  earthly  life  of 
Jesus — obedience,  humility  and  love  infinitely  combined. 
Frederick  W.  H.  Myers  put  upon  the  lips  of  John  the 
Baptist  these  graphic  words : — 

"He  came 
To  my  baptizing,  and  the  infinite  air 
Blushed  on  His  coming,  and  all  the  earth  was  still ; 
Gently  He  spake ;  I  answered ;  God  from  Heaven 
Called,  and  I  hardly  heard  Him,  such  a  love 
Streamed  in  that  orison  from  man  to  man. 
Then  shining  from  His  shoulders  either  way 
Fell  the  flood  Jordan,  and  His  kingly  eyes 
Looked  in  the  east,  and  star-like  met  the  sun. 


"Acts  2.     '"Mk.  10 :  38 :  39.     "Rev.  20 :  15. 


44  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Once  in  no  manner  of  similitude. 

And  twice  in  thunderings  and  thrice  in  flame, 

The  Highest  ere  now  hath  shown  Him  secretly; 

But  when  from  Heaven  the  visible  Spirit  in  air 

Came  verily,  then  I  said  it,  then  I  saw 

God  in  the  voice  and  glory  of  a  Man." 

Luke  says  that  He  was  "praying,"  and  this  is  of  prime 
importance  on  the  part  of  every  person  who  is  baptized, 
for  this  ordinance  is  spiritual  and  brimful  of  devotion.^® 
The  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  Jesus  was  visible  to 
Him  and  John,  and  possibly  to  others,  as  was  the  voice  out 
of  the  heavens  saying,  "This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom 
I  am  well  pleased."  The  ministry  of  Jesus  had  now  been 
inaugurated. 

The  Temptation  (4:  i-ii). — While  the  temptation  in 
the  wilderness,  with  that  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane, 
was  the  greatest  struggle  in  the  earthly  life  of  Jesus,  yet 
as  said  Bernard,  "They  who  reckon  only  three  temptations 
of  our  Lord  show  their  ignorance  of  the  Scriptures,"  for 
His  years  of  ministry  were  likewise  years  of  temptation. 
Coming  to  His  temptation  in  the  wilderness,  we  may  con- 
sider it  as  follows : 

The  Persons. —  (i)  Jesus,  fresh  from  His  baptism  and 
bearing  the  seal  that  He  is  God's  beloved  Son,  and  (2) 
Satan,  a  real  personality,  and  said  Lyman  Abbott,  ''The 
word  devil  is  ahvays  used  in  the  Bible  to  signify  an  evil 
spirit,  and  is  never  used  to  personify  evil  in  man  or  in  the 
world."  He  is  called  in  Isaiah  the  "son  of  the  morning,"^^ 
indicating  his  brilliancy ;  he  was  cast  out  of  Heaven  f^  he 
becomes  the  god  and  prince  of  this  world  ;-^  he  has  the 


;'Ro.  6:3-14.    "Isa.  14:  12. 

J^^Lu.  10:  18;  2  Peter  2:4;  Rev.  12:7-12. 

■^2  Cor.  4:4;  John  12 :  31 ;  Eph.  2  :  2. 


Matthew  i:  i  to  4:  ii.  45 

power  of  death ;--  he  is  a  murderer  and  liar  from  the  be- 
ginning;-^ he  is  the  deceiver  of  the  whole  world  and  the 
accuser  of  the  faithful,-*  and  he  will  finally  be  cast  into 
•'the  lake  of  fire."^^ 

The  P/ac^.— Tradition  says  the  mountain  of  Quaran- 
tania,  between  Jerusalem  and  the  Dead  Sea. 

The  Method. — It  was  possibly  an  internal  struggle, 
Satan  whispering  suggestions  to  His  heart,  just  as  he  does 
to  us,  and  throwing  a  succession  of  pictures  upon  His 
imagination.  From  this  understanding  of  the  struggle  we 
can  see  why  Jesus  so  frequently  referred  to  the  sins  of  the 
heart  and  their  danger. 

The  Time. — When  His  humanity  was  weakest,  having 
fasted  forty  days.  Concerning  the  correspondence  be- 
tween Moses-^  and  Elijah'-"  and  Jesus,  Edersheim  said: 
"Moses  fasted  in  the  middle,  Elijah  at  the  end,  Jesus  at 
the  beginning  of  His  ministry.  Moses  fasted  in  the  pres- 
ence of  God,  Elijah  alone,  Jesus  assaulted  by  the  devil. 
Moses  had  been  called  up  by  God,  Elijah  had  gone  forth 
in  the  bitterness  of  his  own  spirit,  Jesus  was  driven  by  the 
Spirit.  Moses  failed  after  his  forty  days'  fast,  when  in  in- 
dignation he  cast  the  tables  of  the  Law  from  him ;  Elijah 
failed  before  his  forty  days'  fast,  Jesus  was  assailed  for 
forty  days  and  endured  the  trial.  Moses  was  angry  against 
Israel,  Elijah  despaired  of  Israel,  Jesus  overcame  for 
Israel." 

The  apostle  John  classified  all  temptations  as  "the  lust 
of  the  flesh  and  the  lust  of  the  eyes  and  the  vainglory  of 
life/^'^^  and  since  in  this  wilderness  struggle  Jesus  swept 
the  whole  range  of  temptations.  His  three  temptations 
would  fall  under  this  classification  : 


''Heb.  2 :  14.  ''Rev.  20 :  10.  ''i  John  2  :  16. 

=^John8:44.  '"Ex.  34:28. 

=*Rev.  12:9,  10.  -'i  Kings  19:  1-8. 


46  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

First. — 'The  lust  of  the  flesh,''  which  was  an  appeal  to 
a  natural  appetite,  but  the  temptation  was  to  gratify  this 
sinless  appetite  in  the  wrong  way,  and  so  it  was  an  attack 
on  the  loyalty  of  Jesus  to  God's  will.  A  few  days  before 
God  had  called  Jesus  "My  beloved  Son" ;  now  **if"  this  be 
true,  suggesting  a  doubt,  but  if  it  be  true,  use  the 
privilege  of  sonship.  This  proposition  was  selfishness. 
Jesus  never  used  His  power  for  His  own  pleasure  or  per- 
sonal gratification.  Self-denial  was  the  law  of  His  mis- 
sion. Jesus  made  answer  by  using  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit.-'^ 

Second. — "The  lust  of  the  eyes,"  which  was  an  appeal 
to  spiritual  pride,  that  Divinity  was  now  among  men  and 
the  whole  world  might  be  captivated  by  His  signs  and 
wonders,  and  this  temptation  was  presumption,  presuming 
on  God's  confidence,  and  so  it  was  an  attack  on  the  trust 
of  Jesus  in  God.  Being  foiled  the  first  time,  he  takes  Him 
to  a  lofty  porch,  overhanging  the  Kedron  valley,  a  dis- 
tance of  more  than  300  feet  in  height,  from  which  place  the 
watchman  announced,  at  the  sight  of  the  first  morning 
light,  the  time  of  the  morning  sacrifice.  Satan  attempts  to 
quote  Scripture,  by  which  he  had  just  been  defeated,  but 
he  both  misquoted  and  misapplied  it,  and  beginning 
again  with  "if,"  that  he  might  arouse  skepticism  in  the 
mind  of  Jesus,  he  makes  his  second  assault,  but  if  what  he 
quoted  applied  to  Christ,  had  he  quoted  the  next  verse,  he 
might  have  read  his  own  defeat — "the  serpent  shalt  Thou 
trample  under  foot."'^^  Jesus  again  uses  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit,^^  giving  to  us  by  a  wonderful  example  the  way  of 
victory  over  sin. 

Third. — "The  vainglory  of  life,"  which  was  an  appeal 
to  the  love  of  the  world,  and  the  temptation  was  to  secure 


=^Dii.  8 :  3.     "Tsa.  91 :  U-     "Du-  6 :  16. 


Matthew  i:i  to  4:11.  47 

by  physical  means  moral  results,  and  so  it  was  an  attack 
upon  the  Divine  plan  for  the  world's  redemption.  This 
was  the  boldest  of  the  three  temptations,  and  it  may  be 
called  rebellion.  ''Worship  me"  has  in  it  the  idea  of  yield- 
ing to  Satan's  principles  in  order  to  accomplish  the  result, 
as  had  Alexander  and  Caesar,  rather  than  those  of  God, 
which  meant  to  Jesus  so  much  suffering.  Since  it  had 
been  the  Jewish  dream  for  the  independence  of  Jerusalem 
from  a  foreign  yoke  and  the  universal  rule  of  Judaism, 
should  Jesus  act  in  the  spirit  of  ''the  prince  of  this  world," 
who  claimed  to  be  the  disposer  of  kingdoms,  all  the  Jews 
would  espouse  His  cause  at  once  as  the  Messiah — king  of 
the  world,  and  by  the  force  of  arms.  His  reign  would  be 
universal,  like  that  of  Tiberius  at  that  time,  who,  under 
the  principles  of  Satan,  which  are  the  common  principles 
of  this  world,  was  the  most  powerful  of  living  men.  Al- 
though he  was  the  deified  ruler  of  the  richest  kingdom  on 
the  earth,  Pliny  called  him  "the  most  gloomy  of  man- 
kind." Tiberius  was  a  failure,  and  likewise  the  Papacy 
in  after  years  that  adopted  the  worldly  principles  to  es- 
tablish a  temporal  empire.  The  same  temptation  was  re- 
peated several  times  afterwards  to  Jesus.^-  For  the  first 
time  Jesus  spoke  in  His  own  authority  and  called  Satan 
by  his  name,  dictating  the  terms,  and  again  using  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit. ^^ 

Satan,  according  to  Luke,  "departed  from  Him  for  a 
season,"  and  the  passage  which  Satan  misquoted  to  Jesus, 
in  omitting  its  most  important  part,  was  fulfilled — "He 
zvill  give  His  angels  charge  over  Thee,"  for  they  min- 
istered unto  Him,  doubtless  bringing  Him  bread,  as  they 
had  done  to  Elijah  years  before.  Milton  made  this  vic- 
tory of  Jesus  the  subject  of  his  great  poem,  "Paradise  Re- 


"John  6:15;  Mt.  16 :  22,  2^.     '^^Dn.  6  :  13. 


48  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

gained,"  but  it  was  only  the  beginning  of  the  task,  which 
after  many  ages  shall  culminate  in  all  the  world  regained, 
and  the  whole  universe  glorified  in  His  absolute  conquest. 
Satan  reversed  the  order  of  God's  dealing  with  man, 
which  is,  first,  worship;^*  second,  trust ;^^  third,  bread.^^ 
These  passages  follow  each  other  in  perfect  order,  and 
their  arrangement  is  in  keeping  with  what  Jesus  after- 
wards said,  "Seek  ye  first  His  kingdom  and  His  righteous- 
ness, and  all  these  things  shall  be  added  unto  you."^' 


O  God,  I  thank  Thee  for  Jesus  Christ,  the  Man  who 
foiled  the  tempter,  and  under  His  sword  flashes  I  see  the 
path  to  my  victory.  There  is  power  in  Thy  Word,  and  its 
sword  point  cuts  deeper  than  sabers  of  steel.  There  is 
greater  power  in  Thy  supernaturally-born  Son,  who  alone 
saves  me  from  my  sins.  I  desire  to  learn  more  of  Him, 
as  well  as  to  learn  the  skilful  use  of  the  sword  of  the  Spirit, 
that  I,  too,  may  wound  the  tempter,  who  daily  suggests  the 
wrong  to  my  heart  that  is  pledged  to  the  right.  Thy  Word 
is  more  than  bread,  and  Thy  service  is  to  me  the  court  of 
Heaven.  I  bless  Thee  for  Jesus,  the  power  of  His  presence 
and  the  principles  of  His  life.    Amen. 


Questions. 

I.  Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter.  2.  Give  the  divisions  of  the  book  of 
Matthew.  3.  What  the  title  and  limit  of  the  first  division? 
4.  Name  the  chapters  of  this  division.  5.  What  of  the  relation  of 
the  book  of  Matthew  to  the  Old  Testament  ?  6.  For  whom  was  it 
written  ?  7.  What  of  its  relation  to  the  other  Gospels  ?  8.  In  what 
language  was  it  written?  9.  What  of  the  author  and  date? 
10.  What  of  the  genealogy?  11.  What  of  the  betrothal?  12.  What 
of  His  supernatural  birth?  13.  Explain  the  meaning  of  His  per- 
sonal name  and  titles.  14.  What  was  Isaiah's  prophecy  concern- 
ing His  birth  (i :  23)  ?    15.  Give  the  history  of  Herod.    16.  What  of 


•Du.  6 :  13.      ''Du.  6 :  16.      '"Du.  8 :  3.     "Mt.  6 :  33- 


Matthew  i:  i  to  4:  ii.  49 

the  Wise-men?  17.  What  of  the  appearance  of  the  star?  18.  What 
prophecy  was  fulfilled  in  the  birth  of  Jesus  in  Bethlehem? 
19.  What  of  the  gold,  frankincense  and  myrrh?  20.  What  of 
Egypt?  21.  Explain  Herod's  order  to  massacre  the  children  in 
and  around  Bethlehem.  2.2.  Give  the  history  of  Archelaus.  23. 
What  of  John  the  Baptist?  24.  What  of  his  message?  25.  Ex- 
plain the  term  "in  the  Holy  Spirit  and  in  fire."  26.  What  of  the 
baptism  of  Jesus?  27.  Give  some  account  of  the  persons  of  the 
temptation.  28.  What  of  its  place,  method  and  time?  29.  How 
does  John  classify  all  temptations?  30.  Explain  fully  the  first 
temptation.  31.  The  second.  32.  The  third.  2iZ-  What  of  Satan's 
af terconduct,  misquoted  Scripture  and  reversed  order  ?  34.  What 
is  your  prayer  amid  temptation? 


MATTHEW. 

II.     The  Early  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Galilee  and  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount. — 4:  12-7:29. 


"The  people  that  sat  in  darkness 
Saw  a  great  Hght, 

And  to  them  that  sat  in  the  region  and  shadow  of  death, 
To  them  did  light  spring  up." 

— Isaiah  (Isa.  9:2;  Mt.  4:  16), 


"Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit :  for  theirs  is  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven." — Jesus  (5:3)- 


"I  say  unto  you,  that  except  your  righteousness  shall  exceed  the 
righteousness  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no  wise 
enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven." — Jesus  (5:  20). 


"Resist  not  him  that  is  evil :   but  whosoever  smiteth  thee  on  thy 
right  cheek,  turn  to  him  the  other  also." — Jesus  (5  :  39). 


"If  ye  forgive  men  their  trespasses,  your  heavenly  Father  will 
also  forgive  you.  But  if  ye  forgive  not  men  their  trespasses, 
neither  will  your  Father  forgive  your  trespasses." — Jesus 
(6:14,15). 


"Seek  ye  first  His  Kingdom,  and  His  righteousness;  and  all 
these  things  shall  be  added  unto  you." — Jesus  (6:  33). 


"Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into 
the  Kingdom  of  Heaven ;  but  He  that  doeth  the  will  of  My  Father 
who  is  in  Heaven." — Jesus  (7:21). 


MATTHEW. 

II.     The  Early  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Galilee  and  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount. — 4:  12-7:29. 

A  long  time  elapsed  between  the  first  and  second  di- 
visions of  the  book  of  Matthew,  or  between  the  verses 
eleven  and  twelve  of  the  fourth  chapter,  perhaps  as  much 
as  a  year,  which  is  recorded  in  the  first  division  of  John. 

Galilee  (4:  12). — The  term  Galilee  was  first  applied 
to  a  district  in  the  hill  country  of  Naphtali,^  but  at  the 
time  of  Jesus  it  was  the  northernmost  province  of  Pales- 
tine, and  occupied  the  territory  of  the  tribes  of  Asher, 
Naphtali,  Zebulun  and  Issachar — about  thirty  miles  wide 
and  sixty  miles  long.  The  soil  was  fertile,  the  climate 
was  mild,  the  whole  country  was  picturesque  and  the 
three  millions  of  Galilaeans  were  plain,  prosperous  and 
healthy  people,  living  in  the  two  hundred  and  four  cities 
and  villages  that  dotted  the  land.  It  was  called  by  the 
prophet  "Galilee  of  the  Gentiles,"  for  the  word  GaHlee 


Markings. — Undermark,  4:12,  17;  5:17,  20,  46,  48;  6:1,  19; 
7:1,  7,  20;  also  undermark  the  words  "Peter"  and  "Andrew"  in 
4:18;  "James"  and  "John"  in  4:21;  "alms"  in  6:2;  "pray"  in 
6:5;  "fast"  in  6 :  16 ;  "rock"  in  7 :  24;  "sand"  in  7 :  26. 

Mark,  5  :  4-1 1,  32 ;  6 :  9,  21,  30 ;  7 :  28,29. 

Personal  Mark,  5:  3,  12,  16,  22,  28,  34,  39,  44,  46;  6:  14,  15,  20, 
25,  33;   7-3,  12,  21. 

Mark  with  P,  meaning  prayer,  6:5,  9 ;  7:7. 

Names  of  the  chapters  in  the  second  division :  5 — Relation  of 
our  Thoughts  and  Feelings  to  our  Acts ;  6 — Superiority  of  Secret 
over  PubHc  Service;  7 — Fruit-bearing. 

Uosh.  20 :  7. 


54  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

meant  "circle,"  referring  to  being  surrounded,  and 
"Galilee  of  the  Gentiles"  referred  to  being  surrounded  by 
heathens,  especially  Phoenicia,  Decapolis  and  Samaria. 
Its  capital,  Tiberias,  appears  never  to  have  been  entered  by 
Jesus,  presumably  because  it  was  built  on  the  ground  of 
an  old  cemetery,  and  so  was  counted  unclean  to  a  Jew. 
The  proud  Jews  of  Judaea  did  not  for  some  reason  esteem 
very  highly  the  Jews  of  Galilee.  On  the  death  of  Herod 
the  Great,  4  B.  C.,  his  son  Herod  Antipas  was  made  tet- 
rarch  of  Galilee,  and  in  39  A.  D.  he  was  banished  by  the 
order  of  Caligula. 

Capernaum  (4:13). — The  word  Capernaum  means 
''village  of  Nahum,"  and  some  have  made  it  the  home  or 
burial  place  of  the  Old  Testament  prophet  by  that  name. 
It  was  probably  the  home  of  Philip.  Peter  and  Andrew 
of  Bethsaida-  had  settled  there  f  Matthew  doubtless  lived 
there,  as  he  was  called  from  there  "at  the  place  of  toll," 
and  only  there  was  it  said  of  Jesus  that  He  was  "at  home.""* 
Jesus  was  there  frequently  preaching  in  the  synagogue 
and  working  miracles,  and  it  was  called  "His  own  city."' 
It  was  situated  somewhere  on  the  northwestern  coast  of 
the  Sea  of  Galilee,  but  its  site  is  now  uncertain. 

[For  the  call  of  Peter,  Andrew,  James  and 
John,  see  Jno.  1:35-42.] 

Synagogue  (4:23). — Although  Josephus  believed  that 
the  synagogue  had  its  existence  in  the  time  of  Moses,  its 
origin  appears  to  have  been  during  the  Babylonian  cap- 
tivity, when  Israel  had  lost  the  sacred  sanctuary  of  the 
Temple,  and  so  they  assembled  together  for  fasting  and 
reading  and  prayer.  On  their  return,  buildings  for 
their  worship  were  erected  throughout  Palestine.     The 


7ohn  1 :  44.     '"Mk.  i :  9.     *Mk.  2:1.      ''Mt.  9  :  i. 


Matthew  4:12  to  7:29.  55 

earliest  mention  of  synagogues  is  in  Psalms  74:8,  and 
this  belonged  to  the  Maccabsean  period.  At  the  time 
when  Jerusalem  was  destroyed  by  Titus,  70  A.  D.,  there 
were  said  to  be  four  hundred  and  eighty  synagogues  in 
that  city  alone,  and  every  Jewish  community  throughout 
most  of  the  Roman  empire  had  a  synagogue,  a  consider- 
able number  being  in  Rome.  They  were  always  built  on 
commianding  sites,  with  the  entrance  facing  Jerusalem,  to- 
wards which  the  Jews  always  worshipped  in  prayer. 
There  was  a  press,  or  chest,  in  some  part  of  the  synagogue, 
cut  off  by  a  curtain,  in  which  was  the  Torah,  or  Law,  and 
before  this  was  a  lamp,  which  burned  on  the  Day  of 
Atonement.  Near  the  chest  was  a  platform,  from  which 
the  Scriptures  were  read  and  sermons  preached. 

The  officers  were  called  "elders,"  and  their  presiding 
officer  was  called  "the  ruler  of  the  synagogue,"  and  some- 
times there  was  a  plurality  of  rulers.  In  order  to  hold 
worship  at  least  ten  male  persons  had  to  be  present.  Serv- 
ices were  held  in  the  morning  and  the  evening  of  the  Sab- 
bath and  on  Mondays  and  Tuesdays,  which  were  also  fast 
days  with  the  Pharisees.  While  women,  who  were  not 
counted  as  members  of  the  synagogue  congregation,  could 
take  part  in  the  reading,  it  was  usually  considered  objec- 
tionable on  grounds  of  impropriety.  It  was  likewise  a 
school  where  the  Scriptures  were  taught,  also  a  place  of 
trials  and  infliction  of  punishments,^  a  place  of  mourning 
and  of  political  gatherings,  but  eating  and  drinking  there 
were  forbidden,  although  this  was  not  always  observed. 
Any  Jewish  worshipper  could  speak  in  the  meetings,  for 
a  general  invitation  was  given  as  in  our  prayer-meetings, 
and  besides  it  was  a  custom  for  any  representative  of  new 


"Mt.  10 :  17 ;  23  :  24 ;  Acts  22  :  19. 


56  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

opinions  to  be  heard  there  before  judgment  was  passed 
on  his  doctrines,  hence  the  right  given  to  Jesus  to  speak. 

Syria  (4:24). — Syria  is  the  Greek  word  for  the  He- 
brew Armn,  and  should  not  be  confounded  with  the 
Assyrians,  who  were  originally  an  offshoot  of  the  Baby- 
lonians, and  descendants  of  Ham.^  The  people  were  called 
Aramaeans,  who  were  of  Semitic  origin,  being  descendants 
of  Shem.^  Their  language  is  called  Aramaic.  Archibald 
H.  Sayce  classed  the  Ishmaelites  among  them.  In  the 
Old  Testament  the  name  is  applied  to  the  inhabitants  of 
Syria  and  Mesopotamia. 

The  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  (5-7.) — From  Luke, 
who  gives  a  brief  of  the  sermon,^  we  learn  that  after  Jesus 
had  prayed  in  the  mountain  all  night,  when  it  was  day  He 
chose  the  twelve  apostles,  and  then  in  a  sitting  posture  He 
delivered  this  mighty  inaugural  discourse  on  a  level  place 
in  the  "hill  country,"  tradition  says  Mount  Hattin.  The 
title  according  to  Edersheim  should  be  "The  Kingdom  of 
God,"  but  perhaps  "The  True  Religion"  would  be  more 
appropriate.  It  may  be  divided  into  three  parts  and  these 
sections  named  according  to  the  names  of  the  chapters 
already  given : 

The  Relation  of  Our  Thoughts  and  Feelings  to 
Our  Acts  (5). — It  begins  with  eight  blessings,^^  which 
are  commonly  called  Beatitudes,  from  the  Latin  heatus, 
happy,  and  named  by  Farrar  "the  octave  of  beatitudes." 
Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit,  the  lowly  before  God  in 
spirit,  which  is  the  opposite  of  pride  and  is  the  first  step  in 
the  way  to  the  Kingdom ;  for  theirs  is  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven,  not  that  one  produces  the  other  nor  is  the  reward 
for  the  other,  but  it  is  bv  the  wav  of  Christ,  who  alone  is 


^Gen.  10:6-11.     *Gen.  10:21,  22.     "Lii.  6:  12-49.      '"Mt.  5:  1-12. 


Matthew  4:12  to  7:29.  57 

the  connecting  link.  Mourn  is  common  to  the  whole  race, 
and  by  the  way  of  Christ  alone  is  the  abiding  comfort. 
Meek  is  the  opposite  of  self-seeking  and  worldly  ambition, 
and  pertains  to  our  relations  to  each  other  and  by  the  way 
of  Christ;  to  these  the  earth  is  given  by  inheritance,  and 
they  will  be  its  rightful  owners  in  the  universal  reign  of 
Christ.  Hunger  and  thirst  is  a  craving  that  will  not  be 
denied.  Merciful  is  pity  and  compassion  to  the  one  who 
has  wronged  us  and  is  the  highest  expression  of  love. 
Pure  in  heart  refers  to  our  motives  and  imaginations  and 
has  to  do  with  the  private  life,  which  is  known  only  to  the 
individual  and  God.  Peacemakers  not  only  settle  diffi- 
culties among  others,  but  by  their  manner  of  living  they 
make  for  peace  wherever  they  go.  Persecuiion — "Lest 
thou  shouldest  think,"  said  Chrysostom,  *'that  the  mere 
fact  of  being  evil  spoken  of  makes  men  blessed,  He  has  set 
two  limitations;  when  it  is  for  His  sake  and  when  the 
things  that  are  said  are  false ;  for  without  these  he  who  is 
evil  spoken  of,  so  far  from  being  blessed  is  miserable." 
Salt  is  an  antiseptic  that  preserves  from  putrefaction 
and  imparts  a  desired  flavor,  so  Christians  are  to  mingle 
with  all  people  and  so  help  to  save  them.  Thomp- 
son said  that  in  Palestine  the  salt  loses  its  savor  when  it 
comes  in  contact  with  dampness  or  the  sun.  It  destroys 
fertility  if  thrown  upon  the  fields,  and  so  it  is  cast  like  dirt 
into  the  street.  Let  your  light  shine,  but  do  not  make  a 
display  of  it,  inviting  applause  or  flattery. 

Fulfil. — Jesus  gave  fully  the  real  and  underlying 
spiritual  meaning  of  the  Law,  as  preached  in  part  by 
the  prophets  and  that  had  been  denied  totally  by  the 
Pharisees.  He  met  all  the  requirements  of  the  Messianic 
predictions  of  the  prophets.  A  jot  was  the  Plebrew  jod. 
the  smallest  letter  in  their  alphabet,  and  in  the  Hebrew 


58  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Bible  there  are  said  to  be  66,000  jots.     The  tittle  was  a 
stroke  by  which  one  Hebrew  letter  is  made  to  differ  from 
another  that  is  similar  to  it. 
Wrote  Matthew  Arnold, — 

"  'Was  it,'  the  Lord  then  said,  'with  scorn  ye  saw 
The  old  Law  observed  by  scribes  and  Pharisees? 
I  say  unto  you,  see  ye  keep  that  Law 
More  faithfully  than  these.'  "" 

Murder  was  a  crime  punished  by  the  penalty  of 
death/-  and  one  charged  with  it  was  brought  before  the 
bar  of  the  Mosaic  judgment,  which  was  in  every  city,  and 
an  appeal  could  be  taken  to  the  Sanhedrin,  which  was  the 
supreme  court  of  the  Jewish  nation ;  but  heart  anger 
with  a  brother  makes  one  liable  to  be  called  to  the  bar  of 
Christ's  judgment,  where  the  secrets  of  the  heart  are  more 
clearly  seen  than  the  earthly  judgment  can  see  the  outward 
acts  of  murder.  Raca  and  fool  were  terms  of  contempt 
and  profanity.  Before  going  to  church  the  Christian, 
whether  in  the  right  or  wrong,  should  make  an  effort  to  be 
reconciled  to  his  brother ;  and  the  practice  of  Christians 
sitting  in  the  same  church  and  not  speaking  is  both 
heathenish  and  wicked,  and  to  remain  from  church  because 
of  this  condition  is  to  acknowledge  that  one  is  a  servant  of 
Satan.  "The  important  thing,"  said  Augustine,  "is  to  go 
to  thy  brother,  not  with  the  feet,  but  with  the  heart." 

Adultery  was  likewise  a  crime  punished  with  death 
or,  if  a  servant,  by  whipping,^"'  and  this  would  be  judged 
before  the  bar  of  the  Law  of  Moses ;  but  heart  adultery, 
which  is  the  indulgence  of  evil  imagination  in  eyeing  a 
woman  with  the  intention  of  lusting  after  her  and  which 
is  naked  before  the  eve  of  Christ,  is  a  sin  before  Him  as 


"Mt.  5  :  20.       ^*Ex.  21 :  12. 

"Lev.  20:  10;  Nu.  5:  11-31;  Lev.  19:20-22. 


Matthew  4:12  to  7:29.  59 

the  outward  act  is  a  sin  before  the  Law  of  Moses.  This 
was  the  position  of  the  school  of  Shammai,  but  the  school 
of  Hillel,  which  was  more  popular,  affirmed  that  only  the 
act  constituted  sin,  which  was  contrary  to  the  interpreta- 
tion of  Jesus.  He  also  forbade  divorce  except  for  one 
cause. 

[For  a  fuller  discussion  of  divorce,  see  Mk. 
10:  2-12.] 

Szvearing  had  reference  not' only  to  false  swearing  or 
perjury,  and  this  was  regarded  as  great  a  sin  in  the 
Law  of  Moses  as  the  crime  in  which  the  false  swearer 
testified  and  was  meted  the  same  punishment,^*  but  like- 
wise had  reference  to  the  great  pretensions  that  exist  even 
now  among  Orientals,  who,  for  instance,  in  pledging  their 
friendship  will  touch  their  foreheads,  swearing  by  their 
heads.  The  kissing  of  the  Bible  in  our  courts,  which  is 
both  sacrilegious  and  unclean,  comes  under  this  class,  and 
it  should  long  ago  have  been  abandoned.  If  a  man  will 
not  tell  the  truth  on  a  solemn  affirmation,  he  will  not  do  it 
by  kissing  the  Bible.  All  these  unscriptural  oaths  are  de- 
nounced, and  the  lesson  is  that  a  Christian  should  speak 
the  truth  at  all  times,  and  falsehood  before  Christ  is  sin, 
which  is  neither  lessened  by  being  spoken  in  the  social 
circle  nor  intensified  by  being  part  of  a  testimony  in  a 
courtroom.  If  the  falsehood  is  not  known  publicly  so  that 
one  is  not  amenable  to  the  earthly  court,  he  is  still  amen- 
able to  the  more-to-be-feared  bar  of  Christ's  judgment. 

There  is  also  in  this  rebuke  a  reference  to  the  violation 
of  the  third  commandment^^  which  is  practiced  unaer 
"half-veiled  blasphemies"  among  our  own  people  in  the 
use  of  gosh,  golly,  which  are  corruptions  of  God  ;  gracious, 


'Du.  19:  16-19.     '"'Ex.  20:  7. 


6o  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

goodness,  mercy,  glory,  which  are  attributes  of  God; 
dam  it,  which  is  a  euphemism  of  damn ;  deuce,  dickens 
and  old  nick,  which  are  terms  of  the  devil ;  confound  it, 
plague  take  it,  which  are  prayers  for  evil ;  bless  my  life, 
upon  my  soul,  which  are  pledges  of  one's  life.  Speaking 
of  these  vulgarisms,  Lyman  Abbott  said:  ''These  are  de- 
generate oaths  and  are  a  direct  violation  of  the  third  com- 
mandment as  Christ  interpreted  it.  And  it  is  no  answer  to 
this  to  say  that  those  who  use  such  phrases  do  not  intend 
blasphemy  by  them;  frequently  those  who  use  more  di- 
rectly the  name  of  God  in  vain  mean  nothing  by  their 
implication.  The  meaningless  use  of  such  language  is 
itself  a  violation  of  the  simplicity  of  Christian  discourse." 
Resist  not  him  that  is  evil  is  a  reference  to  evil  treat- 
ment, and  it  is  a  positive  rebuke  to  the  law  of  retalia- 
tion. Tolstoi  regards  this  passage  as  not  only  the  key 
to  this  sermon,  but  likewise  to  the  whole  religion  of 
Jesus;  and  while  evangelical  Christianity  must  dissent 
from  many  of  Tolstoi's  positions,  the  non-resistance  of 
evil  must  be  considered  as  one  of  the  fundamental  princi- 
ples of  Jesus,  for  His  whole  earthly  life  was  a  constant 
propounding  of  this  doctrine,  and  He  conquered  Satan  by 
yielding  Himself  an  unresisting  victim  to  his  malice. 
While  the  present  state  of  the  ungodly  world  requires  that 
the  laws  of  the  land  shall  be  enforced, ^^  the  officials  must 
not  show  retaliation  or  use  their  office  for  violence.  The 
law  of  love  belongs  in  the  very  forefront  of  every  Chris- 
tian life  and  needs  to  be  daily  practiced  with  heroic  pur- 
pose, both  individually  and  nationally.  In  this  paragraph 
Jesus  meant  exactly  what  He  said,  and  because  we  cannot 
always  do  this  it  is  not  our  part  to  try  to  explain  it  away. 
We  are  to  bear  affront  and  not  have  recourse  to  violence : 


^"Ro.  13 :  1-4. 


Matthew  4:12  to  7:29.  61 

we  are  to  do  good  to  those  who  injure  us  ;  we  are  to  suffer, 
which  will  be  the  possible  consequence  of  the  practice  of 
this  maxim ;  we  are  to  take  up  our  cross  if  we  would  be 
disciples  of  Jesus  ;^^  we  are  to  renounce  worldly  advan- 
tages ;^^  we  are  to  go  to  death  rather  than  resist  evil,  and 
everv  Christian  is  bound  to  this  practice  whether  he  recog- 
nizes it  or  not,  and  if  he  makes  no  effort  to  try,  he  is  ignor- 
ing the  highest  principle  of  his  Divine  Teacher. 

Love  your  enemies  comes  back  again  to  the  law  of 
the  heart  rather  than  outward  conduct.  Christ  knows 
whether  we  do  or  not,  and  the  supremest  effort  of  one's 
energies  should  be  to  conquer  heart  hate,  that  inward 
resentment  and  ungodly  passion  that  rebels  against  every 
principle  of  the  God  of  love.  Seek  to  be  counted  as  a  son 
of  the  Father.  It  is  the  highest  honor  that  can  come  to 
a  human  being.  It  is  a  psychological  law  that  if  we  pray 
earnestly  for  and  speak  kindly  of  a  person  we  will  love 
that  person ;  on  the  other  hand,  if  we  think  or  speak  un- 
kindly of  someone  we  will  dislike  that  one.  It  is  not  wise 
to  talk  with  any  degree  of  unkindness  about  those  who 
have  wronged  us,  and  we  should  not  let  our  love  and 
courtesy  be  extended  only  to  those  who  love  us  and  show 
courtesy  to  us — a  fault  too  common  in  our  Christian 
society.  Being  Christians,  the  Father  expects  more  of  us 
than  He  does  of  non-Christians.  Our  conduct  must  outdo 
that  of  the  unbeliever,  for  the  aim  of  the  Christian  is  to  be 
like  Christ. 

Ye  therefore  shall  he  perfect — not  sinless,  for  the  word 
does  not  signify  that,  but  it  means  completion  in  Chris- 
tian character  in  contrast  to  a  selfish,  retaliatory  and  half- 
finished  character,  such  as  belongs  to  one  of  the  world. 


"Mt.  16:24-26.     '*Ln.  14:33. 


62  Among  the  Gospp:ls  and  the  Acts. 

Superiority  of  Secret  Over  Public  Service  (6). — 
The  first  of  this  section  is  a  rebuke  to  ostentation  in 
religion,  as  expressed  in  alms,  prayers  and  fasting.^^  Said 
Wordsworth,  "We  are  to  be  seen  to  do  good,  but  not  to  do 
good  to  be  seen."  The  man  who  stood  praying  was  not 
condemned  for  standing,  which  was  a  common  attitude  for 
prayer,-*^  but  for  standing  in  public  places  praying  in  order 
to  be  praised  by  men;  and  many  of  these,  in  accordance 
with  the  rabbis'  instructions,  prayed  eighteen  prescribed 
prayers  daily. 

''The  prayer,"  as  it  was  commonly  called  in  the  early 
Church  and  later  called  **the  Lord's  Prayer,"  is  a  term  that 
belongs  more  properly  to  the  prayer  Jesus  prayed  just 
before  the  agony  of  the  garden  ;-^  but  through  the  centu- 
ries this  term  has  erroneously  clung  to  these  beautiful 
words  which  Jesus  did  not  pray  Himself,  but  gave  to  His 
disciples  to  pray.  In  the  third  century  this  prayer  ap- 
peared as  a  part  of  the  ritual  in  the  Church  service,  and 
by  many  Christians  it  was  repeated  three  times  every  day. 
Our  Father  declared  the  Divine  fatherhood,  which  ap- 
peared occasionally  in  the  Old  Testament"--  and  vaguely 
in  the  literature  of  the  Brahmins  and  Zoroastrians,  al- 
though with  them  it  was  the  idea  of  production  rather  than 
love  and  care,  which  was  the  thought  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment and  so  clearly  brought  out  by  Jesus.  Hallowed  be 
Thy  name,  as  though  commanding  one's  self  to  bring 
praise  and  gratitude  from  the  human  heart  that  rightly 
belonged  to  the  Father. 

Thy  Kingdom  come  was  a  long  look,  reaching  even 
beyond  the  Millennial  age,  to  that  time  when  Jesus 
shall  deliver  up  the  Kingdom  to  the  Father,-^  and  in  keep- 


"Mt.  6:  i-i8.  "Psa.  103  :  13  ;  Isa.  i :  2  ;  63  :  16. 

-°i  Sam.  1 :  26;  i  Kings  S  :  22.     -'i  Cor.  15  :  24. 
'7ohn  17. 


Matthew  4:12  to  7:29.  63 

ing  with  John's  prayer,  "Come,  Lord  Jesus. "-"^  Every 
prayer  should  inckide  some  thought  for  the  Church  on 
earth  and  the  consummation  of  all  things  by  Jesus  Christ — 
our  wills  surrendered  now  and  then  they  shall  move  as 
perfectly  to  His  dictates  as  did  the  will  of  Jesus.  This  was 
the  first  thought  in  His  mind,  and  He  tries  to  teach  us  to 
make  it  the  first  in  our  minds.  Daily  bread  referred  to 
our  necessary  physical  needs,  and  "having  food  and  cov- 
ering we  shall  be  therewith  content."-^  Forgive  us  our 
debts  is  absolute  forgiveness,  and  inasmuch  as  He  prom- 
ises to  remember  them  against  us  no  more,-*^  we  should 
forgive  everyone;  and  after  we  have  forgiven  we  should 
never  mention  the  wrong  and  try  to  forget  it,  for  in  the 
manner  that  we  forgive  others  the  Father  forgives  us ; 
so .  forgiveness  is  one  of  the  chiefest  principles  in  Chris- 
tianity, both  in  the  things  done  and  the  things  that  are  left 
undone.  Others  owe  us  their  love  and  right  treatment,  but 
perhaps  do  not  pay  us  these  debts.  That  is  not  to  affect  us. 
VVe  owe  more  to  the  Father  than  others  owe  us,  and  in 
putting  away  the  debts  of  others  to  us  it  becomes  a  part 
of  the  argument  in  our  asking  the  Father  to  put  away  our 
debts  to  Him.    This  is  vital  as  to  our  salvation. 

Bring  us  not  into  temptation  is  a  plea  not  to  be  led 
into  trials  for  the  mere  sake  of  display  to  others  or  to 
prove  to  one's  self  the  power  of  resistance,  as  Peter  was 
afterwards  led  into  presumption  and  denied  Jesus,  or  in- 
dulging one's  self  beyond  the  bounds  of  right,  as  David 
before  his  fall ;  but  seek  to  be  delivered  from  evil,  just  as 
Jesus  prayed,  "Thou  shalt  keep  them  from  the  evil.'"-' 
The  morning  prayer  in  the  Talmud  was,  "Lead  me  not  into 
the  hands  of  sin,  nor  into  the  hands  of  transgression  and 
iniquity,  nor  into  the  hands  of  temptation."    The  doxology 


*Rev.  22  :  20.     ''i  Tim.  6:8.     -'Jer.  31  :  34.      ''John  17  :  I5- 


64  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

is  omitted  in  most  of  the  early  manuscripts,  and  so  it  is 
not  in  the  American  Revision.  John  W.  McGarvey  sug- 
gests that  to  properly  use  this  prayer  now  the  name  of 
Jesus  should  be  inserted  in  keeping  with  His  mediator- 
ship  and  His  own  request.-^  Matthew  Henry  said  of  this 
prayer  that  it  is,  as,  indeed,  every  prayer,  a  letter  from 
earth  to  Heaven,  and  he  named  Our  Father  as  the  inscrip- 
tion, in  Heaven  as  the  place,  the  several  errands  as  the  con- 
tents, this  day  as  the  date.  The  prayer  is  beautiful  in  sim- 
plicity and  childlike  trust,  and  is  a  sad  contrast  to  many 
modern  prayers  that  are  more  like  addresses  to  God  mod- 
eled from  heathen  prophets. 

From  ostentation  He  passes  to  the  love  of  greed  and 
worldly  care,  both  of  \vhich  are  too  common  among  us 
now.'^^  Lay  not  up  for  yourselves  treasures  upon  the 
earth  is  a  prohibition  against  hoarding  money  for  one's 
own  selfish  use;  and  one  need  not  be  rich  to  do  this, 
for  frequently  persons  in  moderate  circumstances  are  more 
extravagant  on  their  personal  wants  and  desires  than  those 
in  better  circumstances.  It  is  a  rebuke  to  that  class  who 
hoard  their  money  for  their  personal  uses,  themselves  and 
their  families,  whether  rich  or  in  moderate  circumstances. 
The  single-eyed  man  makes  proper  use  of  his  money,  but 
the  evil-eyed  man  does  not  see  that  his  money  is  transient 
and  corrupting  to  his  soul,  and  he  tries  to  keep  the  prin- 
ciples of  God  and  those  of  mammon  or  worldly  wealth,  in 
which  he  fails  to  serve  God,  for  the  Father  will  not  have 
half-way  or  divided  service,  and  so  he  satisfies  Satan,  who 
knows  that  if  he  can  keep  part  of  his  service  he  will  event- 
ually get  all. 

Be  not  anxious  has  no  reference  to  exercising  fore- 
thought, but  is  a  condemnation  of  distrustful  solicitude 


'John  16:24.     ''Mt.  6:18-34. 


Matthew  4:  12  to  7:29.  65 

about  earthly  things.  Trench  has  shown  that  the  real 
meaning  of  the  term  is  to  become  melancholy  or  despond- 
ent, which  betrays  a  lack  of  trust  in  the  Father.  Jesus 
cites  five  reasons  against  being  distrustful,^^  and  closes 
this  section  with  as  remarkable  a  passage  as  the  first  sec- 
tion, in  which  is  given  the  philosophy  of  contentment.^^ 

Fruit-bearing  (7). — The  third  section  of  this  sermon 
has  to  do  largely  with  conduct  toward  others"-,  faith  in 
God^^  and  personal  obedience.^*  Judge  not  has  no  ref- 
erence to  conclusions  or  opinions  based  on  fair  investi- 
gation or  clear  evidence,  for  we  are  commanded  to  judge 
men  by  their  fruits  ;^^  but  this  has  reference  entirely  to 
harsh  criticism  of  others  based  on  surmise  or  ill-will  or 
mere  hearsay;  and  if  we  so  judge  others,  others  will  so 
judge  us — not  God,  for  His  judgments  are  always  just 
and  right.  The  beam,  which  was  a  very  large  thing  and 
symbolizes  a  great  sin,  should  be  removed  before  we 
undertake  to  help  our  brother,  who  has  only  a  mote,  which 
was  a  very  small  thing,  symbolizing  a  little  sin.  It  is  a 
common  condition  for  persons  without  ridding  themselves 
of  their  own  sin  to  be  swift  in  condemning  others  who  are 
guilty  of  the  same  sins.  Jesus  throws  up  a  warning  and 
gives  a  broadside  rebuke  to  such  hypocrisy. 

Meat  offered  on  the  altar  was  holy,  and  to  give  it  to  dogs 
would  profane  it,  which  was  a  lesson  against  unholy  use 
of  personal  service — keep  right  with  God.  Casting  pearls 
before  swine  when  they  were  hungry  for  grain  was  a  les- 
son against  an  unreasonable  urging  of  the  truth  upon  the 
ungodly,  who  would  be  brought  to  despise  both  the  truth 
and  persecute  you  for  your  annoyance.  Plutarch,  who 
wrote  more  than  fifty  vears  after  the  utterance  of  these 


"Mt.  6:25-28,  32.      ''Mt.  7:  1-6,  12.         •■"'Mt  7:  13-21. 
^Mt.  6 :  33.  •■'^Mt.  7:7-11.  ''Mt.  7 :  6-20. 


66  Among  the  Gospee^s  and  the  Acts. 

truths  by  Jesus,  said,  "Do  not  put  your  food  in  the  mire ; 
that  is,  do  not  throw  your  pearls  before  swine,  for  words 
are  the  food  of  the  mind,  and  the  villainy  of  men  twists 
them  to  corrupt  meaning." 

Ask  and  it  shall  be  given  you  is  one  of  the  sweetest 
assurances,  but  prayers  must  be  directed  aright.  There 
must  be  faith, ^"^  forgiveness  of  those  who  have  wronged 
us^^  and  according  to  God's  will."^  Not  all  prayers  are 
answered,  and  James  tells  us  it  is  because  we  ask  amiss  f^ 
but  when  conformed  to  the  Divine  requirements,  prayer 
is  heard  quicker  than  it  is  thought,*^  although  it  may 
not  always  be  in  the  affirmative,  as  is  frequently  the  re- 
quest of  a  child  to  the  earthly  father,  when  the  negative 
answer  is  just  as  kind  as  the  affirmative. 

The  law  of  conduct  to  others  is  summed  up  in  what  is 
commonly  called  the  "Golden  Rule/'*^'  and  it  is  connected 
with  God's  compassion  toward  us  by  the  word  "therefore." 
This  rule  of  conduct  in  the  negative  form  is  found  in  both 
heathen  literature  and  the  Talmud.  In  the  latter,  it  was  said, 
"Thou  shalt  not  do  to  thy  neighbor  what  is  hateful  to  thy- 
self," but  Jesus  taught  that  we  must  do  to  others  what  we 
would  reasonably  expect  them  to  do  for  us  if  our  circum- 
stances were  reversed,  and  this  is  the  highest  law  of  human 
conduct. 

Narrow  and  zvide  gates  is  a  figure  of  an  entrance  into 
two  walled  cities.  The  gate  is  before  the  way.  Through 
the  wide  gate  and  down  the  broad  way  surges  the  mul- 
titude, and  they  go  to  destruction ;  through  the  nar- 
row gate  and  by  the  straitened  way  a  few  pass  into  life 
eternal.  Although  the  gate  is  open  to  all,  there  are  not 
more  entering  it  because  only  a  few  are  willing  to  be  sep- 


^'•'Jas.  1 :  6,  7.  '*i  John  5  :  14.  ''i  Peter  3 :  12. 

■"'Mt.  6 :  14.  15.  ''Jas.  4 :  3-  "Mt.  7:12. 


Matthew  4:  12  to  7:29.  67 

arated  from  the  world,  which  the  narrow  gate  demands, 
and  only  the  few  are  trying  by  Divine  power  to  practice  the 
principles  of  Jesus.  The  picture  was  too  sad  to  be  looked 
at  very  long,  and  so  Jesus  turns  to  the  real  test  of  value, 
which  is  ''by  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them."  It  is 
not  what  one  professes,  but  what  one  is  in  his  private  life, 
in  his  home  and  in  everyday  life,  that  tells  his  worth. 
Right  and  wrong  principles  are  brought  in  daily  contrast 
in  individual  lives  as  clearly  as  in  national  life.  Nationally 
this  is  illustrated  as  follows:  The  fruit  of  Confucianism 
is  best  seen  by  the  condition  of  things  in  China,  Buddhism 
in  India,  Zoroastrianism  in  Persia,  Moslemism  in  Tur- 
key, the  Papacy  in  Italy,  infidelity  under  the  form  of  Rea- 
son in  France,  and  Protestantism  among  the  Anglo- 
Saxons.  The  degradation  or  the  uplift  of  these  nations 
may  be  traced  to  their  religious  beliefs. 

He  that  doeth  the  will  is  the  very  center  principle  of 
service  in  the  religion  of  Jesus.  Prayers  have  their 
place,  but  the  Pharisees  and  some  modern  Christians,  by 
prayerful  pretensions  and  claim  to  reciting  great  num- 
bers of  prayers,  would  teach  that  their  salvation  is  thereby 
secured.  The  position  is  false  and  is  severely  exposed 
here.     Obedience  is  the  highest  expression  of  love.*^ 

He  closed  the  sermon  with  the  parable  of  a  wise  man 
building  on  the  rock  and  a  foolish  man  building  on  the 
sand,  illustrating  that  as  both  built,  both  had  heard  the 
Word,  and  the  difference  was  that  one  built  on  the  rock — 
true  obedience — and  the  other  on  external  profession, 
which  was  shifting  sand.  In  this  sermon  Jesus  showed 
Himself  to  be  the  Son  of  God  as  clearly  as  when  working 
miracles,  for  He  spoke  with  the  authority  as  only  the  Son 
of  God  could  speak.    To  get  this  entire  sermon  to  memory 


'John  14:  15- 


68  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

would  be  a  healthy  exercise,  and  to  use  it  for  frequent 
meditation  would  enrich  the  spiritual  life.  It  presents  the 
principles  of  Jesus  which  are  to  control  the  heart  actions 
of  His  individual  disciples  in  this  dispensation  and  to  be 
perfectly  practiced  by  the  masses  as  the  principles  of  His 
Kingdom  when  He  shall  reign  without  hindrance  over  the 
whole  earth. 


My  Father,  Thou  hast  sent  me  a  Teacher  from  Thine 
own  self.  Others  have  taught,  but  no  man  ever  taught 
like  Jesus.  In  His  utterances  He  has  proven  Himself  to 
me  to  be  the  Christ,  and  out  of  my  incomplete  life  I  cry 
after  the  possession  of  these  holy  ideals,  for  I  am  pained 
as  I  look  on  myself  by  the  side  of  these  Divine  principles ; 
yet  I  bless  Thee  for  the  lesson,  for  it  is  the  complete  man 
that  attracts  me.  Shield  me,  then,  as  I  try  to  walk  the 
straitened  way.  Not  to  be  something  like  a  Christian  or 
to  be  sometimes  a  Christian,  but  make  me  to  be  at  heart 
always  such  a  one  as  Thou  canst  look  upon  and  give  a 
daily  task  to  be  done.  Give  me  the  vision  of  the  single 
eye  and  make  me  to  understand  what  it  is  to  be  a  member 
of  Thy  holy  circle,  for  Jesus'  sake,  and  Thine  is  the  king- 
dom, and  the  power,  and  the  glory,  for  ever.    Amen. 


Questions. 

I.  Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter.  2.  What  the  title  of  this  division? 
3.  Name  the  chapters?  4.  What  of  the  time  between  this  and 
the  preceding  division?  5.  What  of  the  history  of  Galilee? 
6.  What  of  Capernaum?  7.  With  what  message  did  Jesus  open 
His  ministry  (4:17)?  8.  Give  the  history  of  the  synagogue. 
9.  What  of  Syria?  10.  What  the  circumstances  preceding  the 
dehvery  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount?  11.  What  of  the  dehvery, 
place  and  title  of  the  sermon?  12.  Explain  each  of  the  beatitudes. 
13.  What  the  lesson  from  salt?  14.  How  should  one  let  his  light 
shine?    15.  Explain  how  Jesus  fulfilled  the  Law  and  the  Prophets. 


Matthew  4:  12  to  7:29.  69 

16.  Explain  the  lesson  on  murder.  17.  On  adultery.  18.  The 
three  points  on  swearing.  19.  Explain  the  meaning  of  not  resist- 
ing evil.  20.  Of  loving  our  enemies.  21.  Of  being  perfect, 
22.  Explain  the  first  part  of  the  second  section.  23.  Explain  fully 
"the  Lord's  Prayer."  24.  Explain  the  last  part  of  the  second  sec- 
tion. 25.  In  the  third  section,  explain  judging  others.  26.  What 
was  meant  by  casting  holy  things  to  dogs  and  pearls  before  swine  ? 
27.  Explain  how  prayers  are  answered.  28.  The  Golden  Rule. 
29.  The  narrow  and  wide  gates.  30.  Doing  the  will  of  the  Father. 
31.  The  parable  of  building  on  the  rock  and  on  the  sand.  32. 
What  did  Jesus  demonstrate  in  the  delivery  of  this  sermon?.  33. 
Did  you  get  it  to  memory?  34.  What  is  your  prayer  in  its  prac- 
tice? 


MATTHEW. 
IIT.     Later  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Galilee. — 8-i8- 


"Ever}^  one  therefore  who  shall  confess  me  before  men,  him 
will  I  also  confess  before  my  Father  who  is  in  Heaven ;  but  who- 
soever shall  deny  me  before  men,  him  will  I  also  deny  before  my 
Father  who  is  in  Heaven." — Jesus  (lo:  32,  33). 


"Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I 
will  give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke  upon  you,  and  learn  of  me ;  for 
I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart :  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your 
souls;  for  my  yoke  is  easy,  and  my  burden  is  light." — Jesus 
(11:28-30). 


"Every  idle  word  that  men  shall  speak,  they  shall  give  account 
thereof  in  the  day  of  judgment;  for  by  thy  words  thou  shalt  be 
justified,  and  by  thy  words  thou  shalt  be  condemned." — Jesiis 
(12:36,  Z7). 


"Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  Living  God." — Simon  Peter 
(16:  16). 


'T  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven :  and 
whatsoever  thou  shalt  bind  on  earth  shall  be  bound  in  Heaven; 
and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  loose  on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in 
Heaven." — Jesus  to  Peter  and  FulMcd  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost 
in  Acts  2:  38  (16:  19). 


"Pray  ye  therefore  the  Lord  of  the  harvest,  that  He  send  forth 
laborers  into  His  harvest." — Jesus  (9:38). 


72 


MATTHEW. 
III.     Later  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Galilee. — 8-18. 

Following  close  upon  the  preceding  division,  Jesus  came 
down  from  the  mountain,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  mul- 
titude He  proved  His  authority  to  speak  by  demonstrating 
His  authority  to  work  many  miracles,  which  are  marked 
with  as  much  simplicity  as  the  circumstances  of  His  birth. 

Eighteen  Miracles. — Of  the  thirty-six  miracles  that 
are  recorded  in  the  Gospels,  twenty  are  in  the  book  of  Mat- 
thew, and  of  these  eighteen  are  recorded  in  this  division: 

(i)  He  healed  the  leper  of  Gennesaret  (8:1-4;  Mk. 
1:40-45;  Lu.  5:12-15).  This  chronic  disease,  some 
forms  of  which  were  contagious,  covered  the  body  with 
horrid  running  ulcers  that  ate  into  the  muscles,  exposing 
the  bone  and  frequently  distorting  the  whole  body,  and 
death  only  came  when  some  vital  organ  was  attacked.  He 
was  an  outcast.  On  his  being  healed  the  Law  required  a 
public  sacrificial  ceremony.^ 


Markings. — Undermark,  8:1;  10:  i,  32,  34;  11:3;  12:  8,  31,  39, 
50;  13:3;  14:  I,  13;  15:2,  11;  16:  I,  16,  18;  17:  5,  23;  18:3.  10,  15; 
also  undermark  the  words  "leper"  in  8:2;  "palsy"  in  8:6; 
"Peter's"  in  8:  14;  "tempest"  in  8:24;  "swine"  in  8:30;  "palsy" 
in  9 :  2 ;  "Matthew"  in  9:9;  "ruler"  in  9:18;  "a  woman"  in  9 :  20 : 
"two  blind  men"  in  9 :  27 ;  "dumb  man"  in  9 :  32 ;  the  name  of  each 
apostle  in  10:2-4;  "a  cup"  in  10:42;  "Elijah"  in  11:  14;  "Chora- 
zin"  and  "Bethsaida"  in  11:21;  "Capernaum"  in  11:23;  "the 
grainfields"  in  12 :  i ;  "withered  hand"  in  12:  10;  "blind  and  dumb" 
in  12:22;  "Beelzebub"  in  12:24;  "his  mother"  in  12:46;  "tares" 
in  13:25,  2)^;  "mustard  seed"  in  13:31;  "leaven"  in  13:33; 
"treasure  hidden"  in  13:44;  "goodly  pearls"  in  13:45;  "a  net"  in 
^3:47;  "householder"  in  13:52;  "Herodias"  in  14:6;  "five  thou- 

'Lev.  14. 

73 


74  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

(2)  He  healed  the  palsied  servant  of  the  centurion  at 
Capernaum  without  seeing  him  (8:  5-13;  fuller  account  in 
Lu.  7:  i-io).  The  centurion  was  a  Gentile,  and  doubt- 
less his  servant  also.  The  disease  may  have  been  lock- 
jaw, which  is  frequently  connected  with  paralysis  in  Ori- 
ental countries,  and  some  forms  of  paralysis  are  ac- 
companied with  intense  pain. 

(3)  He  cured  Peter's  mother-in-law  of  a  fever  in  Caper- 
naum (8 :  14,  15  ;  fuller  account  in  both  Mk.  i :  29,  31  and 
Lu.  4:  38,  39).  This  disease  was  common  to  those  living 
on  the  low  and  marshy  lands  around  the  Sea  of  Galilee, 
and  was  frequently  of  a  very  malignant  type. 

(4)  He  calmed  the  tempest  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee  (8 :  18- 
27;  fullest  account  in  Mk.  4:  35-41 ;  Lu.  8:  22-25).  Sud- 
den storms  on  this  lake  are  very  common,  due  to  the  warm 
atmosphere  on  the  lake,  which  lies  700  feet  below  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  and  the  proximity  of  the  high  moun- 
tains with  their  cold  winds.     Unlike  Jonah,  Jesus  muz- 


sand"  in  14:21;  "walking  on  the  sea"  in  14:26;  "Canaanitish 
woman"  in  15:22;  "four  thousand"  in  15:38;  "beware  of  the 
leaven"  in  16:6;  "the  keys"  in  16:  19;  "transfiguration"  in  17:2; 
"epileptic"  in  17:15;  "half-shekel"  in  17:24;  "stumbling"  in  18: 
7 ;  "seventy  times  seven"  in  18 :  22. 

Mark,  8:34;  9:  10,  14,  21,  29;  10:  5-7,  16,  17,  22,  33,  37-39;  n  :  7; 
12 :  20,  26 ;  13  :  55  ;  ^A-^,  32,',  15:3;  16 :  12,  21 ;  17  :  12 ;  18 :  14. 

Personal  Mark,  9:38;  10:25,  30;  11:28-30;  12:30,  36,  37;  15: 
19,  20;  16:24-26;  18:  19,  20,  35. 

Mark  with  the  cross,  12:40;  16:21;  17:22,  23. 

Mark  with  the  cross  crowned,  16:  28;  17:  i. 

Mark  with  P,  meaning  prayer,  9 :  38 ;  1 1 :  25 ;  14 :  19,  23  ;  15  :  36 ; 
18:  19. 

Names  of  the  chapters  in  the  third  division:  (8) — Five  Mir- 
acles; (9) — Call  of  Matthew  and  Five  Miracles;  (10) — The 
Twelve  and  their  First  Commission;  (ii) — Message  from  John 
the  Baptist  and  the  Great  Invitation  of  Jesus;  (12) — The  Sab- 
bath and  Signs;  (13) — Eight  Parables;  (14) — The  Death  of  John 
and  the  Five  Thousand  Fed;  (15) — The  Traditions  and  the  Four 
Thousand;  (16) — Peter's  Confession  and  the  Keys;  (17) — Trans- 
figuration; (18) — Discourse  to  His  Disciples  on  Humility  and 
Forgiveness. 


Matthew  8  to  i8.  75 

zled  the  storm  and  the  sea,  proving  Himself  the  Lord  of 
nature. 

(5)  He  cast  out  a  legion  of  demons  from  two  men  into 
a  herd  of  swine  in  the  country  of  the  Gadarenes  (8:28- 
34;  fuller  account  in  both  Mk.  5 :  1-20  and  Lu.  8:  26-39). 
Mark  and  Luke  mentioned  only  one,  doubtless  because  he 
appeared  to  be  the  fiercer  of  the  two.  A  legion  in  the 
Roman  army  was  6000.  The  keepers  of  the  swine  were 
perhaps  Gentiles.- 

(6)  He  healed  a  palsied  man  in  Capernaum,  who  zvas 
let  down  through  the  roof  (9:  1-8;  reported  fuller  in  both 
Mk.  2:  1-12  and  Lu.  5:  17-26).  Albert  Barnes  classified 
the  five  forms  of  palsy,  which  appeared  to  have  been  an 
affection  of  the  nerves,  and  stated  that  death  resulted  in 
a  few  days.  Many  of  the  houses  of  Palestine  are  cov- 
ered with  tiling,  which  can  be  removed  with  some  diffi- 
culty. 

(7)  He  healed  the  woman  in  Gennesaret  of  an  issue  of 
blood  (9 :  20-22 ;  fullest  account  in  Mk.  5  :  25-34 ;  Lu.8 :  43- 
48).  This  disease  was  perhaps  hemorrhage  of  the  bowels. 
Much  of  the  practice  of  medicine  in  that  day  was  done  by 
charms,  and  frequently  with  great  cruelty  to  the  patient. 
Tradition  has  given  to  the  woman  the  name  of  Veronica,  a 
Gentile  of  Caesarea  Philippi. 

(8)  He  raised  from  the  dead  the  tivelve-year-old  daugh- 
ter of  Jairus,  one  of  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue  in  Caper- 
naum (9:  18-26;  fuller  account  in  both  Mk.  5 :  21-43  ^^^ 
Lu.  8:40-56).  This  appears  to  have  been  Jesus'  first 
miracle  of  raising  the  dead.  Paid  mourners,  making 
loud  lamentation  and  playing  dirges  on  musical  instru- 
ments, are  usual  in  Oriental  countries.  Talitha  cumi  is 
Aramaic,  which  indicates  that  Jesus  usually  spoke  in  the 

'Du.  14:8. 


76  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

common  speech  of  the  people,  meaning  literally,  "Maiden, 

arise !" 

"The  Saviour  raised 
Her  hand  from  off  her  bosom  and  spread  out 
The  snowy  fingers  in  His  palm  and  said ; 
My  lamb,  arise !    And  suddenly  a  flash 
Shot  o'er  her  forehead ;  and  along  her  lips, 
And  through  her  cheeks,  the  rallied  color  ran, 
And  the  still  outline  of  her  graceful  form 
Stirred  in  the  linen  vesture ;  and  she  clasped 
The  Saviour's  hand  and,  fixing  her  dark  eyes 
Full  on  His  beaming  countenance,  arose!" 

(9)  He  healed  two  blind  men  in  Capernaum  (mentioned 
only  in  Mt.  9:  27-31).  Blindness  is  very  common  in  Ori- 
ental coimtries,  due  to  the  hot  sun,  the  dust  and  sleeping 
in  the  light.  Volney  said  that  one  out  of  a  hundred  per- 
sons that  he  met  in  his  travels  through  that  part  of  the 
world  was  blind,  and  another  traveler  reported  4000  bUnd 
persons  in  Cairo. 

(10)  He  healed  a  dumb  demoniac  in  Capernaum  (men- 
tioned only  in  Mt.  9:32-34).  Demoniac  possession  af- 
fected persons  differently,  perhaps  mastering  where  the 
individual  was  the  weakest. 

(11)  He  healed  on  the  Sabbath  a  man  ivith  a  withered 
hand  in  a  synagogue  in  Capernaum  ( 12  :  9-14 ;  Mk.  3  :  1-6 ; 
Lu.  6:6-11).  Tradition  says  that  the  man  was  a  mason 
and  his  hand  had  been  hurt  in  his  trade.  "Their  syna- 
gogue" perhaps  refers  to  the  Pharisees.  This  appears  to 
be  the  first  deliberate  plan  to  kill  Jesus.  They  charged 
Him  with  being  a  Sabbath-breaker. 

(12)  He  healed  a  blind  and  dumb  demoniac  in  Galilee 
(12:22-37;  Mk.  3:22-27;  Lu.  11:14-23).  Jesus  was 
charged  with  casting  out  demons  by  the  power  of  Beelze- 
bub, and  out  of  this  arose  the  controversy  regarding  the 


Matthew  8  to  i8.  'J'j 

sin  against  the  Holy  Spirit.  For  the  consideration  of  this 
subject  see  the  chapter  on  the  first  division  in  Mark.  His 
warning  against  "idle  words"  has  reference  to  injurious 
speaking  of  others.^ 

(13)  He  fed  the  live  thousand  with  five  loaves  and  two 
fishes  near  Bethsaida  ( 14 :  13-21 ;  Mk.  6 :  30-44 ;  Lu.  9 :  10- 
17;  Jno.  6:  1-14).  This  is  the  only  miracle  that  is  men- 
tioned in  all  four  Gospels.  All  four  biographers  saw  in 
Him  the  inexhaustible  Feeder  of  mankind.  Giving  thanks 
before  eating  was  practiced  by  the  Jews  and  by  Christ  and 
His  apostles,  and  is  a  precedent  to  us.  The  gathering  of 
the  twelve  baskets  of  fragments  furnished  a  lesson  in 
frugality. 

(14)  He  walked  on  the  water  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee 
( 14 :  22-33  >  ^^^^-  6 :  45-52  ;  Jno.  6 :  16-21 ) .  Matthew  alone 
records  Peter's  attempt  to  walk  on  the  water.  While 
Jesus  was  struggling  on  the  mountain  in  prayer,  the 
disciples  were  struggling  on  the  midnight  sea  with  the 
storm.  Jesus'  answer  was  literally  "I  am,"  the  same  term 
as  used  by  Jehovah  to  Moses.* 

(15)  He  healed  the  daughter  of  the  Syr 0 Phoenician 
woman,  near  Tyre  and  Sidon  (15:21-28;  Mk.  7:24-30). 
Canaanitish  is  the  old  name,  and  so  in  Matthew  she  is 
called  by  that.  She  was  of  a  mixed  race — the  Syrians 
and  Phoenicians — and  doubly  despised  by  the  Jews.  He 
did  not  repel  the  woman,  but  drew  from  her  Gentile  lips 
such  an  expression  of  faith  as  was  a  rebuke  to  His  dis- 
ciples, who  in  that  period  of  their  untaught  lives  regarded 
her  but  little  more  than  a  dog. 

(16)  He  fed  the  four  thousand  with  the  seven  loaves 
and  a  few  -fishes  in  the  mountains  north  of  the  Sea  of 
Galilee  (15:  32-39;  fuller  account  in  Mk.  8:  i-io).     This 


'Mt.  12 :  36,  37.      'Ex.  3 :  14. 


78  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

miracle  appears  to  have  been  for  the  Gentiles,  as  doubtless 
the  feeding  of  the  five  thousand  was  for  the  Jews. 

(17)  He  cured  the  epileptic  boy  near  Mount  Hermon 
( 17 :  14-20 ;  fullest  account  in  Mk.  9 :  14-29 ;  Lu.  9 :  37-43) . 
What  the  disciples  could  not  do,  Jesus  did.  He  supple- 
ments our  weakness  with  His  strength.  Their  failure  ap- 
pears to  have  been  their  lack  of  heart  preparation  in  faith 
and  prayer. 

(18)  He  caused  Peter  to  Hnd  a  shekel  in  the  mouth  of 
the  fish  at  Capernamn  (mentioned  only  in  Mt.  17:  24-27). 
This  was  the  annual  tax — thirty  cents — for  the  support  of 
the  Temple.'^  The  Sadducees  regarded  it  as  voluntary 
and  the  Pharisees  as  compulsory.  Jesus  taught  that  com- 
pulsory taxation  did  not  belong  to  the  Kingdom  of  God. 
Men  must  serve  Him  because  they  love  Him. 

Besides  these.  He  healed  many  others  that  it  might  be 
fulfilled,  ''Himself  took  our  infirmities  and  bare  our  dis- 
eases."^ About  ten  miles  north  of  Capernaum,  and  near 
Tiberias,  was  the  famous  sanatorium  of  Emmaus,  where 
the  sick  from  all  parts  of  Palestine  were  taken  for  the 
medicinal  waters  of  the  hot  springs  there,  and  many  of 
these  persons  were  doubtless  brought  to  Jesus,  which 
may  account  for  the  great  number  of  the  sick  brought  to 
Him  in  His  Galil?ean  ministry.  As  said  Bishop  Bicker- 
steth,— 

"From  His  lips 
Truth,  limpid,  without  error,  flow'd.    Disease 
Fled  from  His  touch.    Pain  heard  him,  and  was  not. 
Despair  smiled  in  His  presence.    Demons  knew, 
And  trembled.     In  the  omnipotence  of  faith, 
Unintermittent,  indefectible. 
Leaning  upon  His  Father's  might.  He  bent 
All  nature  to  His  will.    The  tempest  sank — 


'^Ex.  30:  13-16. 

*Mt.  8:  16,  17;  9:35;  12:  15;  14:  14,  36;  15:30,  3t. 


Matthew  8  to  i8.  79 

He  whispering — into  waveless  calm.    The  bread 

Given  from  His  hands  fed  thousands,  and  to  spare. 

The  stormy  waters,  as  the  solid  rock. 

Were  pavement  for  His  footstep.    Death  itself, 

With  vain  reluctancies,  yielded  its  prey 

To  the  stern  mandate  of  the  Prince  of  Life." 

Thirteen  Parables. — A  parable  is  a  brief  fictitious 
narrative,  founded  on  real  scenes,  having  a  moral  or  re- 
ligious application  ;  something  thrown  alongside  of  a  truth 
to  illustrate  it.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  a  parable 
usually  illustrates  but  one  point,  and  it  is  important  that 
we  do  not  lose  that  point  in  trying  to  make  it  illustrate 
another.  Of  the  forty  parables  in  the  Gospels,  twenty- 
two  are  in  the  book  of  Matthew,  and  of  these  thirteen  are 
in  this  division : 

(i)  The  undressed  cloth  and  the  old  garment  (9:  16; 
Mk.  2:21;  Lu.  5  :  36)  and  (2)  the  new  wine  and  the  old 
wine-skins  (9 :  17 ;  Mk.  2 :  22 ;  Lu.  5  :  37)  were  spoken  at 
Capernaum,  and  both  illustrated  the  impropriety  of  fast- 
ing at  stated  periods  by  prescribed  rituals,  as  practiced  by 
the  disciples  of  John,  the  Pharisees  and  some  modern 
Christians,  such  a  practice  being  as  absurd  as  patch- 
ing an  old  garment  with  a  piece  of  unshrunk  cloth  or 
putting  new  wine,  which  would  ferment,  into  old  wine- 
skins that  were  not  elastic,  but  fasting  should  be  when  the 
occasion  demands  it.. 

(3)  The  unclean  spirit  re-entering  his  dwelling  (12 :  43- 
45;  Lu.  11:24-28)  was  spoken  in  Gennesaret,  and  illus- 
trated that  the  last  state  of  the  Jewish  nation  would  be 
worse  than  the  first,  and  it  was  marked  by  increasing 
wickedness,  culminating  in  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem, 
teaching  that  reformation  without  right  living  is  entirely 
worthless. 


8o  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

(4)  The  sower  (13:1-23;  Mk.  4:1-20;  Lu.  8:4-15) 
was  spoken  by  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  illustrated  the  work- 
ing of  the  incorruptible  seed  and  how  it  would  be  received 
in  the  world. 

(5)  The  tares  (mentioned  only  in  Mt.  13 :  24-30,  36-43) 
was  spoken  by  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  illustrated  the 
source  of  the  hindrances  and  the  working  of  the  evil 
forces,  with  a  lesson  of  God's  long-suffering  in  dealing 
with  the  wicked  and  their  final  condemnation  and  the  sal- 
vation of  the  righteous. 

{6)  A  grain  of  mustard  seed  ( 13  :  31,  32  ;  Mk.  4 :  30-32  ; 
Lu.  13:  19)  was  spoken  by  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  illus- 
trated the  remarkable  growth  of  Christianity  and  the  ac- 
ceptance of  its  ethical  principles  by  men,  symbolized  by 
the  birds  lodging  in  the  branches  of  the  plant,  as  a  moral 
and  social  power  in  advancing  civilization  rather  than  a 
spiritual  power.  Lange  said,  "In  our  opinion,  this  para- 
ble alludes  to  the  fact  that  a  man  was  obliged  cautiously 
and  carefully  to  take  up  the  seed  lest  he  should  lose  hold  of 
it.  So  small  as  to  scarcely  admit  of  being  handled."  The 
seeds  of  Christianity  are  found  in  the  poverty  and  humil- 
ity of  Jesus.  He  abandoned  all  for  us  and  walked  the 
world's  lowliest  paths  in  order  to  meet  all  mankind. 

(7)  The  leaven  ( 13  :  33  ;  Lu.  13  :  20,  21 )  was  spoken  by 
the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  it  appears  to  illustrate  the  same 
point  as  the  preceding  parable  as  to  growth,  with  the  ad- 
dition of  the  method  of  growth,  but  while  leaven  was  once 
required  as  a  sacred  offering  in  the  old  dispensation,'  it 
is  always  used  with  the  idea  of  corruption  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament,^ and  so  it  is  possible  that  the  parable  refers  to  the 
corruption  that  would  characterize  the  Church,  as  the  tares 
referred  to  the  hindrances,  a  fact  that  is  sustained  bv  other 


'Lev.  23:  17.     'Mt.  16:  5-12. 


Matthew  8  to  i8.  Si 

Scripture  and  the  present  condition  of  divisions  and  world- 
liness  in  the  Church.  It  may  be  a  picture  of  the  subtle 
infusion  of  false  doctrine  into  the  pure  meal  of  the  doc- 
trine of  Christ,  and  it  was  afterwards  said,  the  mystery  of 
"the  woman  whom  thou  sawest"  f  but,  as  said  Rieger, 
"In  other  passages  of  Scripture  the  term  leaven  is  used 
as  a  figure  of  insidious  and  fatal  corruption,  finding  its 
way  into  the  Church ;  but  manifestly  this  cannot  be  the 
case  in  the  present  instance.  To  mean  this  it  would  have 
said  'the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  is  like  three  measures  of 
meal,'  but  the  term  leaven  is  used  here  in  reference  to  its 
pervading  and  transforming  power." 

(8)  A  treasure  hidden  (mentioned  only  in  Mt.  13:44) 
was  spoken  by  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  perhaps  illustrated 
that,  while  the  Kingdom  is  open  to  all,  it  is  hid  from  the 
sinner  until  he  receives  its  invitation,  when  he  experi- 
ences the  joy  of  salvation,  which  he  esteems  above  every- 
thing else ;  or  more  likely  it  may  refer  to  Christ,  who  gave 
up  all,  and  thereby  purchased  with  His  blood  the  whole 
earth. 

(9)  The  goodly  pearls  (mentioned  only  in  Mt.  13:45, 
46)  was  spoken  by  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  perhaps  illus- 
trated, as  Henry  Varley  suggests,  the  Church,  which 
Christ  loved  and  ''gave  Himself  for  it;"  or  the  man  who 
had  been  seeking  worldly  honors  and  enjoyments,  but  on 
finding  Christ  he  willingly  exchanges  them  for  the  honors 
and  blessings  of  that  holy  service. 

(10)  A  net  (mentioned  only  in  Mt.  13:47-50)  was 
spoken  by  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  illustrated  that,  while  all 
kinds  and  conditions  are  gathered  into  the  Church,  at  the 
end  of  the  world  the  wicked  and  the  righteous  shall  be 
separated,  as  the  parable  of  the  tares  illustrated  the  sep- 


'Rev.  17 :  18. 


82  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

aration  of  the  wicked  and  righteous  throughout  the  world. 
This  parable  appears  to  apply  to  the  righteous  and  the 
wicked  in  the  visible  Church. 

(ii)  A  householder,  bringing  forth  things,  new  and 
old  (mentioned  only  in  Mt.  13 :  52)  was  spoken  by  the  Sea 
of  Galilee,  and  illustrated  that  every  Christian  teacher 
must  bring  forth  out  of  his  heart  old  and  new  experi- 
ences— himself  a  teacher,  but  ever  learning,  as  said  Mat- 
thew Henry,  "Laying  up  is  in  order  to  laying  out  for 
the  benefit  of  others."  All  these  parables  of  the  thirteenth 
chapter  bear  upon  the  development  of  the  Kingdom  of 
God. 

(12)  The  lost  sheep  (18:12,  13;  Lu.  15:3-7)  was 
spoken  at  Capernaum,  and  illustrated  both  the  Father's  de- 
sire to  save  all  and  His  joy  over  the  penitent. 

(13)  The  unmerciful  servant  (mentioned  only  in  Mt. 
18:23-35)  was  spoken  at  Capernaum,  and  illustrated  the 
unreasonableness  of  our  expecting  Divine  forgiveness 
when  we  do  not  forgive  our  brethren  who  have  wronged 
us.  The  relative  debts  were  $18.00  and  $15,000,000. 
''Two  things,"  said  Chrysostom,  "doth  Christ  require 
here — to  condemn  ourselves  for  our  sins  and  to  forgive 
others ;  and  the  former  for  the  sake  of  the  latter."  Said 
Tennyson : — 

"O  man.  forgive  thy  mortal  foe, 
Nor  ever  strike  him  blow  for  blow ; 
For  all  the  souls  on  earth  that  live 
To  be  forgiven  must  forgive. 
Forgive  him  seventy  times  and  seven ; 
For  all  the  blessed  souls  in  Heaven 
Are  both  forgivers  and  forgiven." 

Peter's  Confession  and  the  Keys  of  the  Kingdom 
(16:  13-19). — This  passage,  frequently  considered  so  diffi- 
cult, may  be  easily  explained  if  it  be  borne  in  mind  (i) 


( 


\ 

\ 


Matthew  8  to  i8.  83 

that  there  is  a  wide  difference  between  Petros  and  petra, 

(2)  that  a  key  is  used  for  the  opening  of  something,  and 

(3)  that  the  promise  was  primarily  to  Peter,  and  these 
points  are  considered  as  follows :  Peter  having  confessed 
Jesus  as  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  Living  God,  Jesus  said, 
"Thou  art  Petros,  and  upon  this  petra  I  will  build  my 
Church."  These  two  Greek  words  are  entirely  different, 
as  anyone  can  see,  and  in  the  Greek  language,  where 
every  person  of  the  most  ordinary  intelligence  would  know 
the  difference  at  once,  the  Greek  Church  separated  from 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  refusing  to  accept  the 
primacy  of  Peter,  that  the  Church  was  built  upon  Peter,  be- 
cause of  the  common  understanding  of  these  simple  words 
in  their  language,  and  the  Greek  Church  has  ever  stood  as 
an  ancient  protest  against  that  erroneous  interpretation. 
Had  Jesus  intended  to  build  His  Church  upon  Peter, 
He  would  have  used  Petros,  meaning  a  stone,  the  second 
time  as  well  as  the  first,  but  not  using  it  the  second  time, 
and  using  petra  instead,  meaning  "a  ledge  of  rock,"  it  is 
in  perfect  keeping  with  the  Scriptures,  that  says,  ''Built 
upon  the  foundation  of  the  apostles  and  prophets,  Christ 
Jesus  Himself  being  the  chief  corner  stone, "^*^  from  which 
there  is  only  one  conclusion,  and  that  is  that  petra  referred 
to  the  confession  that  Peter  had  made,  namely,  that  Jesus 
is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  Living  God — everything  de- 
pending upon  His  Sonship  and  Messiahship. 

A  key  being  used  for  the  opening  of  something,  we  find 
that  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  when  the  Holy  Spirit  de- 
scended for  His  great  mission  on  the  earth,  Peter  was 
spokesman,  as  he  was  to  the  Gentile  household  of  Cor- 
nelius later,^^  just  as  Jesus  had  promised,  and  he  laid 
down  the  conditions  for  admission  of  all  into  the  Church.^^ 


'Eph.  2  :  20.      "Acts  2 :  14.      ^Acts  2 :  38. 


84  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Such  appears  to  have  been  the  use  of  the  keys,  and 
after  that  both  James  and  Paul  became  more  promi- 
nent than  Peter.  With  the  keys  he  had  opened  the  doors 
of  the  Church  to  the  lost  world,  laying  down  the  condi- 
tions for  the  remission  of  sins  and  the  reception  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  or  showing  that  if  men  rejected  the  Divine 
conditions  of  pardon  they  were  bound  here  and  hereafter ; 
but  if  they  accepted,  they  were  loosed  from  their  sins  now 
and  forever. 

Against  this  Jesus  said,  "The  gates  of  tlades  shall  not 
prevail,"  meaning  that  as  gates  were  the  symbols  of  a  city's 
power,  for  armies  always  came  from  the  city's  gates,  the 
power  of  Hades,  the  abode  of  wickedness,  will  be  unable 
to  draw  away  the  whole  Church  into  apostasy,  and  like- 
wise unable  to  keep  down  the  dead  on  the  day  of  resur- 
rection, as  Satan  was  unable  to  keep  Jesus  in  the  tomb  on 
the  morning  of  the  third  day,  for  through  the  very  death 
portals — through  the  gates  of  the  grave — the  redeemed 
shall  come  forth  "unto  the  resurrection  of  life."^^  It  is  a 
glorious  promise.  There  is  no  place  for  failure  in  His 
scheme  of  redemption,  but  the  path  leads  to  absolute  vic- 
tory beneath  the  light  of  the  eternal  morning. 

[For  the  explanation  of  the  dead  burying  the 
dead,  see  Lu.  9 :  60 ;  for  the  call  of  Alatthew,  see 
under  ''author  and  date"  of  the  first  division ; 
for  the  appointing  of  the  twelve  and  their  com- 
mission, see  Lu.  6:  13-16;  9:  1-6;  for  the  up- 
braiding of  Chorazin,  Bethsaida  and  Capernaum, 
see  Lu.  10:  13-16;  for  the  Sabbath,  see  Lu.  6: 
1-5;  for  blasphemy  against  the, Holy  Spirit,  see 
Mk.  3 :  20-30 ;  for  discussion  on  signs,  see  Lu. 
1 1  :  29-32 ;  for  His  mother  and  His  brethren,  see 
Lu.  8:  19-21 ;  for  the  carpenter  and  his  brethren 
and  sisters,  see  Mk.  6:1-6;  for  the  imprisonment 


'John  5 :  28,  29. 


Matthew  8  to  i8.  85 

and  death  of  John,  see  Mk.  6:  14-29;  for  tradi- 
tions, see  Mk.  7:  1-23;  for  leaven,  see  Lu.  12:  i ; 
for  the  transfiguration,  see  Mk.  9:  1-8.] 


Blessed  Father,  I  see  in  Thy  miracles  an  expression  of 
Thy  compassion,  and  in  Thy  parables  an  expression  of 
Thy  wisdom ;  but  in  the  promise  of  the  keys  to  Peter, 
whereby  he  was  to  open  the  doors  of  the  Church  to  lost 
sinners  like  me,  I  see  Thy  quenchless  love.  Thy  assurance 
that  Satan  shall  not  hinder  the  consummation  of  Thy  holy 
plans  is  as  powerful  as  Thy  love.  Though  Thy  Church  be 
marred  and  sadly  disfigured.  Thou  wilt  keep  it,  and 
though  I  be  reaped  in  death's  harvest  and  those  I  love  lie 
down  with  me  in  this  last  sleep.  Thou  wilt  raise  us  up  in 
spite  of  death  and  decay,  for  Thou  art  God,  and  Thy  other 
name  is  Love.     Amen. 


Questions. 

I.  Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter.  2.  What  the  title  and  limit  of  this 
division?  3.  Name  the  chapters  of  this  division.  4.  How  many 
miracles  recorded  in  the  four  Gospels?  5.  Name  the  eighteen  of 
this  division.  6.  Which  miracles  of  this  division  are  mentioned 
only  in  Matthew?  7.  Which  miracle  is  recorded  in  all  the  Gos- 
pels ?  8.  What  of  the  nature  of  some  of  the  diseases  cured  in  this 
division?  9.  Tell  of  the  miracles  in  this  division  outside  of  the 
cures  of  the  body?  10.  Give  a  full  account  of  the  raising  of  the 
daughter  of  Jairus.  11.  How  many  of  these  miracles  appear  to 
have  been  wrought  on  Gentiles?  12.  What  was  the  result  of  his 
healing  a  man  on  the  Sabbath?  13.  Do  you  offer  thanks  before 
your  meals  (14:19;  15:36)?  14.  What  appears  to  have  con- 
tributed to  so  many  sick  being  brought  to  Jesus  in  His  Galilaean 
ministry?  15.  What  is  a  parable  and  its  use?  16.  How  many  in 
the  Gospels?  17.  Name  the  parables  of  this  division.  18.  Explain 
the  lessons  from  the  first  three.  19.  From  the  next  eight,  begin- 
ning with  the  sower.  20.  From  the  remaining  two.  21.  What 
explanation     did     Jesus     make     for     associating     with     sinners 


86  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

(9:12,  13)?  22.  What  directions  did  Jesus  give  for  securing 
workers  for  the  harvest  (9 :  ZT,  38)  ?  23.  What  of  the  messen- 
gers from  John  the  Baptist  (11 12-19)  ?  24.  Why  did  Jesus  give 
thanks  to  the  Father  for  not  revealing  the  things  of  the  Kingdom 
to  the  wise  (11:25,  26)?  25.  Give  the  great  invitation  of  Jesus 
(II :  28-30).  26.  What  of  the  witness  at  the  judgment  of  the  idle 
words  daily  spoken  by  us  (12:  36,  2>^)  ?  27.  Does  that  which  goes 
into  the  mouth  or  that  which  comes  out  cause  personal  defilement 
(15:19,  20)?  28.  Give  an  account  of  the  transfiguration 
(16:28-17:8).  29.  Give  the  leading  thoughts  in  the  discourse 
of  the  i8th  chapter.  30.  Explain  Peter's  confession  and  the  keys. 
31.  What  is  meant  by  the  gates  of  Hades  not  prevailing  against 
it?  32.  What  is  your  pra3'er  in  the  Hght  of  the  message  of  this 
chapter  ? 


MATTHEW. 

IV.     The  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Per.ea,  Jud.^a  and 
Jerusalem. — 19-25. 


"I  say  unto  you,  the  Kingdom  of  God  shall  be  taken  away  from 
you,  and  shall  be  given  to  a  nation  bringing  forth  the  fruits 
thereoi.''— Jesus  to  the  Jews  (21 :  43). 


"Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with 
all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.  This  is  the  great  and  first 
commandment;  and  a  second  like  unto  it  is  this,  Thou  shalt  love 
thy  neighbor  as  thyseli."— Jesus  (22:  37-39)- 


"This  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom  shall  be  preached  in  the  whole 
world  for  a  testimony  unto  all  the  nations ;  and  then  shall  the  end 
come." — Jesus  (24:  14). 


'Then  shall  appear  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  man  in  heaven ;  and 
then  shall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn,  and  they  shall  see  the 
Son  of  man  coming  on  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great 
glory.  And  He  shall  send  forth  His  angels  with  a  great  sound  of 
a  trumpet,  and  they  shall  gather  together  His  elect  from  the  four 
winds,  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other." — Jesus  (24:  30,  31). 


"Watch  therefore:   for  ye  know  not  on  what  day  your  Lord 
cometh." — Jesus  (24 :  42). 

"Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of  these  my  brethren,  even 
these  least,  ye  did  it  unto  me." — Jesus  (25:40). 


MATTHEW. 

IV.     The  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Per^a,  Jud^a  and 
Jerusalem. — 19-25. 

Several  months  appear  to  have  passed  since  the  close  of 
the  preceding  division  and  the  opening  of  this. 

Beyond  the  Jordan  (19:  i). — This  term  is  used  in  the 
Talmud  and  the  New  Testament  for  Peraea,  which  word 
does  not  occur  in  the  New  Testament.  It  was  a  name 
given  by  Josephus  to  that  territory  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Jordan,  from  the  Greek  word  peran,  meaning  "beyond," 
which  about  covered  the  boundaries  of  the  Jewish  tribes 
of  Reuben  and  Gad,  although  Josephus  gave  it  little  larger 
dimensions.  Its  soil  was  rich,  except  on  its  eastern  bound- 
ary, which  was  rocky  and  barren.  It  was  not  so  fertile  as 
GaHlee  nor  so  populous.  On  the  death  of  Herod  the 
Great,  Herod  Antipas  was  appointed  tetrarch  of  Galilee 
and  Peraea.  Some  have  thought  that  Jesus  was  baptized 
on  the  Peraean  side  of  the  Jordan,  that  on  the  Samaritan 


Markings. — Undermark,  19:  i,  16;  20:  18;  21 :  i,  12,  31,  43;  22: 
32;  23:1,  2,  9;  24:2,  12,  14,  21,  30,  35,  42;  25:31,  34,  46;  also 
undermark  the  words  "put  away  his  wife"  in  19 :  3 ;  "little  chil- 
dren" in  19:13;  "sell  what  thou  hast"  in  19 :  21 ;  "laborers  into  his 
vineyard"  in  20 :  i ;  "my  two  sons"  in  20:21;  "two  blind  men"  in 
20:30;  "a  colt"  in  21:2;  "Hosanna"  in  21:9;;  "Bethany"  in  21: 
17;  "fig  tree"  in  21:  19;  "authority"  in  21:23;  "two  sons"  in  21: 
28 ;  "husbandman"  in  21 :  33 ;  "tribute  unto  Caesar"  in  22 :  17 ; 
"seven  brethren"  in  22 :  25 ;  "great  commandment"  in  22 :  36 ; 
"Christ  ?  whose  son  is  he"  in  22 :  42 ;  "rabbi"  in  23  :  8 ;  "master"  in 
23 :  10 ;  "woe"  in  23 :  13,  15,  16,  23,  25,  27,  29 ;  "O  Jerusalem,  Jeru- 
salem" in  23  :  37 ;  "sign  of  thy  coming"  in  24 :  3  ;  "wars"  in  24 :  6 ; 
"famines"  and  "earthquakes"  in  24:7;  "tribulation"  in  24:9; 
"false  prophets"  in  24:11;  "Daniel"  in  24:15;   "signs  and  won- 


90  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

village's  refusing  to  receive  Him  He  withdrew  to  Peraea ;' 
that  He  withdrew  there  again  after  the  Feast  of  Dedication 
in  Jerusalem,-  and  that  from  there  He  was  sent  for  to  go 
to  Bethany  to  see  Lazarus.^  All  the  incidents  in  the  19th 
chapter  of  Matthew  and  a  part  of  the  20th  chapter  occur- 
red there,  and  from  Peraea  He  made  His  last  journey  to 
Jerusalem. 

[For  discussion  on  divorce,  see  Mk.  10:  2-12.] 

Little  Children  (19:  13-15;  Mk.  10:  13-16;  Lu.  18: 
i^_i7). — This  scene  is  fragrant  with  the  love  of  Christ  for 
children.  According  to  Lange,  it  was  a  custom  for  chil- 
dren to  be  brought  to  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue  to  be 
blessed,  and  in  this  instance,  following  immediately  upon 
the  discussion  of  marriage  and  as  a  rebuke  to  divorce, 
Jesus  laid  His  hands  upon  the  children  and  blessed  them, 
and  drawing  from  the  circumstance  the  lesson  that  of  such 
persons,  trustful  and  freed  from  sin  as  little  children,  is 
the  Kingdom  of  Heaven. 

[For  discussion  on  riches,  see  Mk.  10:  17-31.] 

Two  Miracles. — Of  the  twenty  miracles  recorded  in 
Matthew  eighteen  were  given  in  the  preceding  division, 
and  the  remaining  two  are  given  here : 


ders"  in  24:  24;  "he  is  nigh"  in  24:  33;  "days  of  Noah"  in  24:  ZJ', 
"ten  virgins"  in  25 :  i ;  "talents"  in  25:  15. 

Mark,  19:9,  14,  23;  20:19,  28;  21:13,  25;  22:30;  23:24,  26; 
24:  22,  31,  2,^,  44;  25 :  13,  32,  35,  36. 

Personal  mark,  19 :  29 ;  20 :  26 ;  21 :  22 ;  22:  37-39 ;  24 :  46 ;  25  :  40. 

Mark  with  the  cross,  20 :  18. 

Mark  with  the  cross  crowned,  19:  28;  24:  3,  30;  25:  i,  31. 

Mark  with  P,  meaning  prayer,  21 :  22. 

Names  of  chapters  in  the  fourth  division:  19— Divorce  and 
Riches ;  20— Laborers  in  the  Vineyard  and  the  Greatness  of  Serv- 
ice; 21— Hosannas  and  Parables:  22— Marriage  Feast  and  Mar- 
riage in  the  Resurrection;  23— The  Great  hidictment;  24— Signs 
of  His  Coming;  25— Virgins  and  Talents. 

'Lu.  9 :  53.     'John  10 :  40.     'John  11:3. 


Matthew  19  to  25.  91 

(i)  He  healed  izvo  blind  men  at  Jericho,  and  one  of 
them  was  Bartimmis  (20:29-34;  Mk.  10:46-52;  Lu.  18: 
35-43) .  Luke  mentions  but  one,  and  Mark  gives  his  name, 
doubtless  because  he  was  the  more  prominent  of  the  two. 
One  of  the  evidences  of  the  Messiah  was  that  He  would 
have  the  power  to  open  the  eyes  of  the  blind.* 

"O  changeless  Christ,  whose  word  of  power 

Gave  Bartimaeaus. sight, 
Come  to  Thy  people  in  this  hour 

That  we  may  see  the  Light. 
'Mid  clashing  creeds  we  grope  for  Thee, 

And  faiths  outworn  and  vain, 
O,  Jesus,  touch  our  eyes,  that  we 

See  only  Thee  again." 

(2)  He  withered  the  iig  tree  on  the  zvay  to  Jerusalem 
(21:18-22;  fuller  account  is  given  in  Mk.  11:12-14, 
20-26).  Figs  are  produced  in  Palestine  at  three  seasons 
of  the  year,  spring,  summer  and  fall,  these  last  remaining 
on  the  tree  throughout  the  winter,  and  the  early  fig  ap- 
peared before  the  leaves  and  was  full  grown  when  the 
leaves  appeared.  Li  the  case  of  this  tree  it  had  put  forth 
leaves  before  the  time,  but  had  it  had  figs  on  it  in  the 
fall,  some  would  have  still  remained.  It  had  on  it  neither 
new  nor  old  figs,  but  was  covered  with  a  beautiful  foliage, 
as  though  to  make  the  impression  that  it  had  figs,  and 
bearing  leaves  so  early  that  it  was  of  a  superior  quality  to 
the  other  fig  trees.  It  was  a  symbol  of  the  hypocrite,  who 
was  not  contented  to  be  equal  with  others,  but  wanted  to 
appear  better.  While  the  tree  had  no  moral  responsibility, 
it  nevertheless  furnished  a  lesson  of  the  withering  of  the 
Jewish  nation  because  of  its  boastful  pretensions. 


*Isa.  29 :  18 ;  42  :  7. 


92 


Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 


Regeneration  (19:  28).— This  term,  which  is  more 
frequently  used  now  than  in  the  days  of  the  Scriptures,  is 
from  the  Latin  word  regenero,  meaning  "beget  again," 
and  consequently  it  includes  a  second  birth  with  the  hope 
of  Heaven  in  contrast  with  the  first  birth,  the  path  of 
which  leads  to  death ;  also  implying  the  rule  in  us  of  His 
Divine  Spirit — a  prince  who  rules  in  the  place  of  the  sov- 
ereign. The  Holy  Spirit  is  the  regent  of  the  Almighty 
Crown,  His  regency  beginning  historically  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost  and  individually  when  one  receives  the  new 
life  or  receives  the  life  from  above,  similar  to  the  ex- 
pression "born  anew."^  This  Divine  regent  is  not  to 
consult  our  pleasures,  but  to  rule  our  whole  beings  with 
absolute  authority  till  we  attain  '*unto  the  measure  of 
the  stature  of  the  fulness  of  Christ." 

Eight  Parables. — Of  the  twenty-two  parables  in 
Matthew,  one  was  in  the  second  division,  thirteen  in  the 
third  division,  and  the  remaining  eight  are  in  this  fourth 
division : 

(i)  The  Laborers  in  the  vineyard  (mentioned  only 
in  Mt.  20:  1-16)  was  spoken  in  Peraea.  The  Jews  counted 
from  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  so  the  third  hour 
would  be  nine  o'clock,  the  sixth  hour  would  be  twelve 
o'clock,  the  ninth  hour  would  be  three  o'clock,  and  the 
eleventh  hour  would  be  five  o'clock,  and  to  all  a  shilling  or 
seventeen  cents  apiece.  The  parable  was  spoken  in  con- 
nection with  the  conversation  with  the  apostles  concerning 
the  reward  for  self-sacrifice*^  and  bound  to  that  conversa- 
tion by  ''for"  of  20:1,  and  so  it  appears  to  teach  that 
heavenly  rewards  are  not  to  be  based  on  the  amount  of 
work  done,  as  is  the  law  of  this  world,  for  all  will  receive 
more  than  they  deserve,"  and  those  in  the  early  Church 


'John  3  :  3.     «Mt.  19  :  23-30.     ''Ui.  19 :  29. 


Matthew  19  to  25.  '93 

were  not  to  receive  any  more  than  those  who  came  in 
later.  The  least  of  us  will  have  the  companionship  of 
Paul  and  Peter  and  John,  and  they  will  not  complain  be- 
cause our  unworthy  selves  are  associated  with  those  most 
worthy.  The  eleventh-hour  laborers  came  as  soon  as  they 
were  called.  The  one  who  does  heartily  what  the  Father 
lays  upon  him  to  be  done,  irrespective  of  rewards,  al- 
though he  may  have  come  in  late,  will  be  among  the 
first,  "so  the  last  shall  be  first  and  the  first  last."  It  is  a 
rebuke  against  seeking  compensation  for  everything  that 
one  does. 

(2)  The  two  sons  asked  to  go  into  the  vineyard  (men- 
tioned only  in  Mt.  21  :  28-32)  was  spoken  in  Jerusalem 
and  illustrated,  with  the  conversation  concerning  the  bap- 
tism of  John,  that  the  flagrant  sinner  who  forsakes  his  sins, 
enters  into  the  Kingdom  of  God  before  the  orthodox  and 
moral  people,  such  as  the  Pharisees,  who  clung  to  their 
sins^  and  trusted  to  their  ritualistic  performances  for  sal- 
vation. 

(3)  The  zvicked  husbandman  (21:33-46;  Mk.  12: 
1-12;  Lu.  20:9-19)  was  spoken  in  Jerusalem  and  illus- 
trated that  the  Kingdom  of  God  would  be  taken  away 
from  the  Jews  and  given  to  the  Gentiles. 

(4)  The  marriage  of  the  king's  son  and  the  invitation 
slighted  (mentioned  only  in  Mt.  22:1-14)  was  spoken 
in  Jerusalem  and  illustrated,  with  the  preceding  parable, 
the  rejected  of  the  Jews ;  the  burning  of  their  city  referred 
to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem ;  the  persons  from  the 
highways  represented  the  Gentiles ;  the  entrance  of  the 
king,  the  final  judgment ;  and  the  man  without  the  wedding 
garment  represented  those  who  seek  to  be  active  in  the 

'Mt.  7:21. 


94  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Church  without  wearing  the  righteousness  of  the  saints,^ 
especially  those  who  insolently  ignore  the  new  birth,  think- 
ing that  their  own  righteousness  is  good  enough. 

(5)  The  fig  tree  and  all  the  trees  putting  forth  leaves 
(24 :  32-34 ;  Mk.  13  :  28,  29 ;  Lu.  21 :  29-33)  was  spoken  on 
the  Mount  of  Olives  and  illustrated  that  as  we  know  the 
near  approach  of  summer  by  the  trees  putting  forth  their 
leaves,  so  because  of  the  development  and  progress  of  the 
world's  travail  and  judgment,  as  mentioned  in  the  pre- 
ceding verses,  we  should  know  that  the  second  advent  is 
near. 

(6)  The  ten  virgins  (mentioned  only  in  Mt.  25:  1-13) 
was  spoken  on  the  Mount  of  Olives  and  illustrated  the  im- 
portance of  watching  for  the  return  of  the  Lord,  lest  He 
find  us  asleep,  like  those  five  foolish  virgins,  who  repre- 
sent the  worldly  and  indifferent  element  of  the  Church. 
The  parable  sadly  represents  both  the  wise  and  the  foolish 
as  asleep  and  referred  to  elsewhere  as  the  condition  of  the 
Church  when  Jesus  returns.^^ 

"Men  die  in  darkness  at  thy  side, 

Without  a  hope  to  cheer  the  tomb ; 
Take  up  the  torch  and  wave  it  wide. 

The  torch  that  lights  time's  thickest  gloom. 

"Toil  on,  faint  not,  keep  watch  and  pray ; 
Be  wise  the  erring  soul  to  win ; 
Go  forth  into  the  world's  highway, 
Compel  the  wanderer  to  come  in. 

"Toil  on,  and  in  thy  toil  rejoice; 

For  toil  comes  rest,  for  exile  home ; 
Soon  shalt  thou  hear  the  Bridegroom's  voice, 
The  midnight  cry,  'Behold  I  come.'  " 

(7)  The  talents  (mentioned  only  in  Mt.  25:14-30) 
was  spoken  on  the  Mount  of  Olives  and,  like  the  two  pre- 

«Rev.  19:8.     "Lu.  18:8. 


Matthew  19  to  25.  95 

ceding  parables,  referred  to  the  second  advent.  It  illus- 
trated especially  the  method  of  watching,  showing  that 
the  non-use  of  our  talents  and  abilities,  which  are  given  to 
us  as  Divine  trusts  from  the  Father,  is  as  great  a  sin  as  the 
misuse  of  them,  and  it  is  a  severe  lesson  on  unprofitableness 
in  Christian  service  when  one  neither  grows  in  grace  nor 
helps  others  to  grow,  neither  works  in  Christ's  service  nor 
encourages  others  to  work,  and  such  a  one  takes  his  place 
among  the  castaway  at  the  judgment. 

(8)  The  separation  of  the  sheep  from  the  goats  (men- 
tioned only  in  Mt.  25  :  31-46)  was  spoken  on  the  Mount  of 
Olives  and  likewise  referred  to  the  second  advent  and 
illustrated  the  judgment  of  the  living  nations — "Before 
.Him  shall  be  gathered  all  nations,"  the  heathen  nations, 
who  know  not  of  Christ,  for  they  shall  ask,  "When  saw 
we  Thee  hungry  and  fed  Thee?"  Christians  know  this 
and  they  would  not  ask  it,  but  the  questions  will  come  from 
utter  strangers  to  Christ.  They  will  know  Him  for  the 
first  time  that  day,  and  character  based  on  deeds  of  kind- 
ness shall  be  the  test  for  them. 

Request  of  Salome  (20:20-28). — In  Mark  (10: 
35-45)  the  request  appears  to  have  come  from  James  and 
John,  but  doubtless  their  mother  Salome  was  the  chief 
spokesman.^^  They  did  not  understand  the  mission  of 
Jesus,  but  supposed  that  His  Kingdom  was  to  be  the  tem- 
poral restoration  of  Israel  at  Jerusalem  in  a  short  while. 
In  the  Talmud  God  is  represented  with  the  Messiah  on 
His  right  hand  and  Abraham  on  His  left.  Josephus  rep- 
resented Saul  with  Jonathan  on  his  right  and  Abner  on  his 
left.  In  a  few  weeks  these  places  with  Jesus  were  occupied 
by  two  robbers.  The  cup  and  baptism  symbolized  inner 
and  outer  trials.    James  was  the  first  to  suffer  martyrdom, 

"Mt.  27:  56:  Mk.  16:  I. 


96  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

and  John,  though  the  last  to  die,  had  a  life  of  sore  perse- 
cution. The  law  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  is  that  serving 
rather  than  ruling  is  the  way  to  greatness. 

[For  the  triumphal  entry,  see  Mk.  ii:  i-io; 
for  the  money-changers,  see  Mk.  ii:  15-18;  for 
the  Herodians  and  the  tribute,  see  Mk.  12  :  13-17 ; 
for  a  discussion  of  no  marrying  in  the  resurrec- 
tion, see  Mk.  12:  18-27.] 

David's  Lord  (22:41-46). — While  the  Messiah  was 
generally  believed  among  the  Jews  to  be  a  descendant  of 
David,  it  was  not  generally  believed  that  He  was  to  be 
Divine.  They  rather  thought  that  He  would  come  as  an 
ordinary  man  and  not  as  the  Son  of  God,  not  supernatu- 
rally  born  as  was  Jesus,  but  David  regarded  Him  as 
Divine  by  calling  Him  ''my  Lord."  It  is  an  argument  for 
His  Divinity. 

His  Last  Public  Discourse  (23). — The  discourse  of 
this  chapter,  which  closed  the  public  ministry  of  Jesus, 
may  be  termed  "The  Great  Indictment,"  and  it  may  be 
profitably  read  in  connection  with  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount  that  marked  its  beginning.  It  combines  all  the 
vehemence  of  a  philippic  and  the  grief  of  the  deepest 
lamentation.  The  scribes  were  the  official  interpreters  of 
the  Law,  and  the  Pharisees  were  the  strict  observers  of  all 
outward  tradition  and  formalism.  Both  claimed  to  sit  "on 
Moses'  seat,"  being  members  of  the  Sanhedrin,  the  highest 
Jewish  court,  which  they  claimed  originated  with  Moses.^^ 

Blood  of  Zachariah  (23:  35). — This  is  perhaps  a  refer- 
ence to  Zachariah  the  son  of  Jehoiada,  who  on  rebuking 
the  people  for  their  sins  was  slain  by  them  at  the  command 
of  King  Joash,  who  had  been  saved  by  Jehoiada. ^^  Genesis 

"Nu.  II :  17,  24.     "2  Ch.  24:  20-22. 


Matthew  19  to  25.  97 

being  the  first  book,  it  contained  the  murder  of  Abel,  and 
II  Chronicles  being  the  last  book  in  the  Hebrew  Bible,  it 
contained  the  murder  of  Zachariah,  and  so  the  sweep  was 
made  from  the  beginning  to  the  end.  The  murder  was  so 
outrageous  that  it  was  a  saying  among  the  Jews  that  the 
blood  was  never  washed  away  until  the  Temple  was 
burned. 

The  Signs  of  His  Coming  (24). — In  the  opening  of 
this  chapter  three  questions  were  asked  by  His  disciples: 
When  shall  Jerusalem  be  destroyed?  What  shall  be  the 
sign  of  Thy  coming?  When  is  the  end  of  the  world? 
Concerning  the  Temple,  it  was  built  of  white  marble;  it 
covered  nineteen  acres,  and  was  forty-six  years  in  the 
hands  of  10,000  skilled  workmen  in  building.  It  was  one 
of  the  most  magnificent  buildings  ever  erected.  The  bur- 
den of  His  reply  has  to  do  with  the  second  question.  In 
his  answer  there  is  no  reference  to  peace  on  the  earth  nor 
to  the  universal  reign  of  righteousness ;  no  reference  to  the 
Millennium  nor  to  the  decline  of  iniquity,  but  these  signifi- 
cant terms  follow  each  other:  "shall  lead  many  astray/' 
**wars,"  "nation  shall  rise  against  nation,"  '"famines," 
"earthquakes,"  "beginning  of  travail,"  "tribulation," 
"shall  kill  you,"  "ye  shall  be  hated,"  "stumble,"  "hate  one 
another,"  "false  prophets,"  "iniquity  shall  be  multiplied," 
"many  shall  wax  cold,"  "abomination  of  desolation," 
"great  tribulation  such  as  hath  not  been  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  world  until  now,  no,  nor  ever  shall  be,"  "false 
Christs,"  "  false  prophets,"  "shall  show  great  signs  and 
wonders,  so  as  to  lead  astray,  if  possible,  even  the  elect," 
"the  sun  shall  be  darkened,"  "the  moon  shall  not  give  her 
light,"  "stars  shall  fall,"  ''then  shall  appear  the  si^i^n  of  the 
Son  of  Man  in  Heaven:  and  then  shall  all  the  tribes  of  the 
earth  mourn,  and  they  shall  see  the  Son  of  Man  coming 


q8  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

on  the  clouds  of  heaven  ztnth  poiver  and  great  glory.  And 
He  shall  send  forth  His  angels  with  a  great  sound  of  a 
trumpet,  and  they  shall  gather  together  His  elect  from  the 
four  winds,  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other."^^ 

The  day  and  hour  of  His  coming  are  unknown  except  to 
the  Father.  Said  Augustine,  "The  last  day  is  hidden  that 
all  days  may  be  observed."  But  it  will  be  as  sudden  as  the 
flood  in  the  days  of  Noah,  and  people  will  be  as  indifferent 
and  going  on  their  daily  rounds,  as  when  "the  flood  came 
and  took  them  all  away."  See  the  significance  of  that 
commanding  word  'Svatch,"  which  appears  every  fifteen 
minutes  in  our  reading  of  the  New  Testament. 

Summing  up  the  conditions  preceding  His  coming,  they 
appear  to  be  first,  iniquity  shall  be  multiplied  \^''  second, 
many  shall  wax  cold  and  be  led  astray  ;^^  third,  the  Gospel 
of  the  Kingdom  shall  be  preached  to  the  whole  world  for 
a  testimony  unto  all  the  nations  ;^'  fourth,  the  shortening 
of  the  days  for  the  elect's  sake;^^  fifth,  false  Christs  and 
false  prophets  shall  show  great  signs  and  wonders,  so  as 
to  lead  astray,  if  possible,  even  the  elect. ^^  It  is  a  picture 
of  great  trial  and  danger  to  the  servants  of  the  Lord,  but 
Christ  reminds  us  that  He  has  told  us  beforehand,-''  and 
Paul  said,  "Ye,  brethren,  are  not  in  darkness,  that  that 
day  should  overtake  you  as  a  thief ;  for  ye  are  all  sons  of 
light  and  sons  of  the  day  ;"-^  and  Christ  has  promised  that 
he  that  endureth  to  the  end,  the  same  shall  be  saved."  It 
will  be  noticed  that  miracles,  which  characterized  the  work 
of  Christ  in  His  earthly  ministry  and  that  of  His  apostles  in 
their  ministries,  will  be  adopted  by  the  false  Christs  and 
the  false  prophets  in  the  latter  days,  and  thereby  many  will 
be  deceived,  so  that  zvhat  once  zvere  evidences  of  the  true, 

"Mt.  24 :  30,  31-  "Mt.  24 :  14.  ="Mt.  24 :  25. 

''Mt.  24 :  12.  ^«Mt.  24 :  22.  -'i  Thess.  5  :  4-6. 

"Mt.  24:  5,  II,  12.      "Mt.  24:  24.  ^^Mt.  24:  13. 


Matthew  19  to  25.  99 

in  these  latter  days  will  become  evidences  of  the  false/* 
Miraculous  healing  now  is  more  a  warning  against  than  a 
commendation  for  the  healer.  The  larger  part  of  the  pic- 
ture of  this  chapter  is  true  to  these  times,  and  the  second 
advent  must  not  be  far  off.  Paul  called  it  "the  blessed 
hope"  of  the  Church.^^ 

"Lo  !   He  comes  with  clouds  descending, 

Once  for  favored  sinners  slain; 
Thousand,  thousand  saints  attending, 
Swell  the  triumph  of  His  train ; 

Hallelujah! 
God  appears  on  earth  to  reign." 


Thou  art  the  Holy  One  of  love — the  God  of  unbroken 
promises.  Throughout  the  Old  Testament  Thou  didst 
promise  to  send  the  Messiah,  and  in  the  New  Testament 
the  records  have  been  made  that  He  came,  that  He  died, 
and  that  He  arose  from  the  dead;  but  now  in  language 
more  clearly  Thou  hast  promised  to  send  Him  back  to  this 
world  for  His  universal  triumph.  That  last  long  look  of 
the  apostles  on  the  Mount  of  Olives  was  met  by  the  assur- 
ance that  He  would  come  again  and  in  like  manner.  T 
wait  not  in  idleness,  lest  He  come  and  count  me  as  one  who 
lacked  in  love.  Thy  command  to  watch  is  only  another 
term  for  serving — serving  to  make  my  heart  square  with 
Thee  and  to  likewise  help  others  in  getting  ready  ere  He 
comes.  Thou  wilt  not  tarry,  and  in  the  fulness  of  time 
which  marked  Thy  first  coming  Thou  wilt  come  again. 
Come,  my  Lord,  and  save  Thy  Church,  for  the  Bride- 
groom's sake.    x\men. 


Questions. 

I.  Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter.  2.  What  the  title  and  limit  of  this 
division?    3.  Name  the  chapters  of  this  division.    4.  What  of  the 

"^Tit.  2 :  13. 


lOO  Among  the  Gospfxs  and  the  Acts. 

country  beyond  the  Jordan?  5.  What  of  the  little  children? 
6.  Give  an  acount  of  the  two  miracles  in  this  division.  7.  What 
of  regeneration?  8.  Name  the  eight  parables  of  this  division. 
9.  Explain  the  parable  of  the  laborers  in  the  vineyard.  10.  Ex- 
plain the  next  three.  11.  Explain  the  four  advent  parables. 
12.  What  of  the  request  of  Salome?  13.  Why  did  not  the  chief 
priests  and  elders  ansvi^er  Jesus  regarding  the  baptism  of  John 
(21 :  25-27)  ?  14.  What  are  the  two  great  commandments 
(22:  36-40)  ?  15.  Explain  David's  calling  the  Messiah  "my  Lord." 
16.  What  of  the  last  public  discourse  of  Jesus?  17.  Is  it  right  to 
call  priests  "father"  (23 :  9)  ?  18.  What  of  the  blood  of  Zacha- 
riah?  19.  What  was  the  lamentation  of  Jesus  over  Jerusalem 
(23:37)?  20.  What  of  the  .signs  of  His  coming?  21.  Explain 
the  five  points  as  summed  up.  22.  How  did  Paul  regard  the 
second  coming  of  Christ?  23.  How  do  you  regard  it?  24.  What 
is  your  prayer  in  this  study? 


MATTHEW. 

V.     The   Trial,   Crucifixion   and   Resurrection   of 
Jesus. — 26-28. 


''As  they  were  eating,  Jesus  took  bread,  and  blessed,  and  brake 
it;  and  He  gave  to  the  disciples,  and  said,  Take,  eat;  this  is  my 
body.  And  He  took  a  cup,  and  gave  thanks,  and  gave  to  them, 
saying,  Drink  ye  all  of  it;  for  this  is  my  blood  of  the  covenant, 
which  is  poured  out  for  many  unto  remission  of  sins." — Jesus  at 
the  Supper  (26:  26-28). 


"Sit  ye  here,  while  I  go  yonder  and  pray." — Jesus  to  His  Disci- 
ples as  He  entered  Gethsemane  (26 :  36) . 


''My  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  away  from  me : 
nevertheless,  not  as  I  will,  but  as  Thou  wilt." — Prayer  of  Jesus  in 
Gethsemane  (26:39). 

"Put  up  the  sword  into  the  sheath :  the  cup  which  the  Father 
hath  given  me,  shall  I  not  drink  it?" — Jesus  to  Peter  (Jno.  18:  11). 


"My  Kingdom  is  not  of  this  world :  if  my  Kingdom  were  of  this 
world,  then  would  my  servants  fight,  that  I  should  not  be  deliv- 
ered to  the  Jews :  but  now  is  my  Kingdom  not  from  hence." — 
Jesus  to  Pilate  (Jno.  18:  36). 


"Herod  with  his  soldiers  set  Him  at  nought,  and  mocked  Him, 
and  arraying  Him  in  gorgeous  apparel  sent  Him  back  to  Pilate." — 
Luke  (23:  11). 


"What  then  shall  I   do  unto  Jesus  who  is  called  Christ?" 
Pilate  to  the  Multitude  (27:  22). 


102 


MATTHEW. 

V.     The   Trial,   Crucifixion   and   Resurrection   of 
Jesus. — 26-28. 

This  division  begins  under  the  overhanging  clouds  of 
His  Passion,  and  four  preparatory  steps  are  recorded  in 
the  beginning  of  the  twenty-sixth  chapter:  (i)  He 
plainly  tells  His  disciples  that  He  is  to  be  crucified;^  (2) 
the  Jewish  authorities  counsel  how  it  can  be  accom- 
plished;- (3)  Mary,  doubtless  the  sister  of  Lazarus,  and 
Simon,  being  her  husband  or  father,  without  knowing  the 
significance,  anointed  the  head  and  feet  of  Jesus  prepara- 
tory to  His  burial;^  and  (4)  Judas'  agreement  with  the 


Markings.— Undermark,  26 :  2,  18.  26,  39,  47,  57 ;  27 :  2,  22,  35, 
50,  59,  60;  28:6;  also  undermark  the  words  "took  counsel''  in 
26:4;  "alabaster  cruse"  in  26:7;  "Judas"  in  26:14;  "Is  it  I, 
Lord?"  in  26:  22;  "scattered"  in  26:  31 ;  "Peter"  in  26:  35;  "Geth- 
semane"  in  26:36;  "kissed  him"  in  26:49;  "sword"  in  26:51; 
"disciples  left  him  and  fled"  in  26 :  56 ;  "worthy  of  death"  in  26 : 
66;  "denied  with  an  oath"  in  26:72;  "hanged  himself"  in  27:5; 
"Barabbas  or  Jesus"  in  27:17;  "washed  his  hands"  in  27:24; 
"mocked  him"  in  27 :  29 ;  "Golgotha"  in  27 :  33 ;  "two  robbers"  in 
27  :  38 ;  "mocking  him"  in  27 :  41 ;  "darkness  over  all"  in  27  :  45 ; 
"My  God,  my  God"  in  27:46;  "many  women"  in  27:55;  "All 
hair  in  28:9;  "eleven  disciples"  in  28:  16. 

Mark,  26:  11,  12,  20,  25,  27,  52,  59,  dy;  27:7,  19,  26,  51,  54,  66; 
28 :  12,  13. 

Personal  mark,  28 :  19,  20. 

Mark  with  the  cross,  26:2,  12,  21,  26,  39,  46;  and  a  large  cross 
at  27 :  35. 

Mark  with  the  cross  crowned,  26 :  64. 

Mark  with  P,  meaning  prayer,  26:  26,  36,  39,  41,  42,  44;  27 :  46. 

The  names  of  the  chapters  of  the  fifth  division :  26^Betrayal 
and  Trial  before  the  Sanhedrin ;  27 — Trial  before  Pilate  and  the 
Crucifixion;  28— The  Resurrection  and  the  Commission. 

^Mt.  26:  I,  2.      ^Mt.  26:  4,  5. 

'Mt.  26:6-13;  Mk.  14:3-9;  John  12:  i-ii, 

103 


104  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

chief  priests  for  the  betrayal  of  Jesus/  In  this  chapter 
the  Lord's  Supper  and  the  trial  of  Jesus  will  be  consid- 
ered; the  crucifixion  and  resurrection  will  be  treated  in 
Mark  and  Luke. 

[For  the  anointing  in  the  house  of  Simon,  see 
Tno.  12:  1-8;  for  the  Passover  Supper,  see  Jno. 
13:  1-17:26.] 

The  Lord's  Supper  (26:26-29;  Mk.  14:22-25;  Lu. 
22:14-20;  I  Cor.  11:23-29). — It  is  called  "the  Lord's 
Supper"  by  Paul.'"'  Toward  the  close  of  the  Paschal  Sup- 
per, and  perhaps  just  before  eating  the  lamb,  after  which 
the  custom  was  not  to  eat  anything,  Jesus  took  the  bread, 
which  was  a  round  unleavened  cracker,  gave  thanks  and 
broke  it  and  gave  to  the  disciples,  saying,  "Take,  eat; 
this  is  my  body" — not  His  real  body,  else  it  would  have 
been  turned  into  flesh  then,  but  symbolical,  just  as  He  said 
in  the  parable  of  the  tares — "The  good  seed  are  the  sons 
of  the  Kingdom"  and  "The  tares  are  the  sons  of  the  evil 
one."  The  father  of  the  house  always  said  in  observing 
the  Paschal  Supper,  "This  is  the  body  of  the  lamb,  which 
our  fathers  ate  in  Egypt" — not  that  it  was  the  same  lamb, 
but  symbolized  it,  and  Jesus  simply  modified  the  expres- 
sion and  gave  to  it  a  new  significance. 

Then  He  took  "the  fruit  of  the  vine,"  which  was  the 
third  cup  of  the  Paschal  Supper,  and  it  was  called  "the  cup 
of  blessing,"^  because  thanks  were  given  over  it,  and 
He  gave  thanks  and  gave  to  them,  saying,  "Drink  ye 
all  of  it,  for  this  is  my  blood  of  the  covenant,  which  is 
poured  out  for  many  unto  the  remission  of  sins." 

As  He  had  enacted  His  second  advent  by  the  transfigu- 
ration, for  this  undoubtedly  referred  to  His  second  com- 
ing, he  sublimely  presents  the  tragedy  of  the  Cross  in  these 

*Mt.  26:  14-16.      'i  Cor.  II  :  20.      "i  Cor.  10:  16. 


Matthew  26  to  28.  105 

simple  emblems  and  left  them  as  memorials  to  be  kept  by 
His  disciples  "till  He  come"  again/  as  much  as  to  say, 
"When  you  would  remember  me,  think  of  the  Cross." 
Eating  together  was  a  bond  of  friendship  in  the  Oriental 
countries,  and  thus  Jesus  left  us  this  Holy  Supper  as  the 
bond  of  the  covenant  of  His  grace,  and  He  called  us 
"Friends."^  By  His  death  He  has  put  away  our  transgres- 
sions, for  His  blood  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin.^  In  the 
midst  of  the  Paschal  Feast,  with  the  recital  of  the  incident 
attending  the  first  Passover  in  Egypt,  He  established  the 
Supper  and  then  opened  the  vista  to  the  Marriage  Supper 
of  the  Lamb  when  He  will  keep  it  new  with  us  in  the 
Father's  Kingdom. 

•  The  wheat  was  bruised  and  broken,  the  grapes  were 
crushed,  and  out  of  it  we  read  the  broken  and  crushed 
heart  of  Jesus  for  the  remission  of  the  sins  of  the  world. 
It  is  a  blessed  memorial.  It  was  made  a  matter  of  spe- 
cial revelation  to  Paul,  and  it  is  now  the  most  powerful 
bond  that  holds  the  followers  of  Jesus.  It  has  been  abused, 
but  still  through  its  sacred  channels  blessings  are  poured 
into  the  hearts  of  the  saints. 

The  Arrest  (26:36-56;  Mk.  14:32-52;  Lu.  22:39- 
53;  Jno.  18:  i-ii). — They  went  out  about  midnight,  per- 
haps through  Saint  Stephen's  gate,  to  one  of  the  slopes  on 
the  Mount  of  Olives,  called  Gethsemane,  which  meant  "a 
place  of  an  oil-press,"  but  henceforth  its  meaning  must  be 
"sorrow."  The  traditional  site,  which  was  fixed  on  when 
Helena  visited  Jerusalem  in  326,  is  about  fifty  yards  be- 
yond the  Kidron,  which  that  night  was  crimson  with  the 
blood  of  thousands  of  Paschal  lambs,  for,  according  to 
Lightfoot,  it  was  the  drain  for  all  the  sacrificial  blood  from 
the  Temple  and  a  general  citv  drain.     The  site  is  marked 


'1  Cor.  II  :  26.      ''John  15:  15,      "r  John  t  :  7. 


io6  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

by  a  stone  wall  enclosing  eight  ancient  olive  trees.  Leav- 
ing all  the  apostles  near  the  gate  excepting  Peter,  James 
and  John,  whom  He  took  with  Him,  He  went  up  into  the 
garden,  and  later  left  these,  and  there  alone  He  had  his 
midnight  struggle,  sometimes  kneeling  and  sometimes 
prostrated  on  the  ground,  such  agony  as  to  bring  forth 
bloody  sweat,^^  while  angels  ministered  to  Him.^^ 

"Deep  waters  have  come  in.  O  Lord ! 
All  darkly  on  Thy  human  soul ; 
And  clouds  of  supernatural  gloom 
Around  Thee  are  allowed  to  roll. 

"And  Thou  hast  shuddered  at  each  act 
And  shrunk  with  an  astonished  fear, 
As  if  Thou  couldst  not  bear  to  see 
The  loathsomeness  of  sin  so  near." 

The  prayer  is  one  of  perfect  resignation — ''not  as  I  will, 
but  as  Thou  wilt" — combining  both  submission  and  peti- 
tion, and  teaching  us  that  the  real  office  of  prayer  is  to 
change  the  human  will  into  the  Divine  will.  Three  times 
He  went  back  to  the  disciples  and  aroused  them  from  their 
sleep,  and  referring  to  Peter,  he  said,  "The  spirit,  in- 
deed, is  willing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak." 

"In  golden  youth,  when  seems  the  earth 
A  summer-land  for  singing  mirth, 
When  souls  are  glad  and  hearts  are  light, 
And  not  a  shadow  lurks  in  sight, 
We  do  not  know  it,  but  there  lies 
Somewhere  veiled  under  evening  skies 
A  garden  all  must  some  time  see, 
The  garden  of  Gethsemane. 


"Lu.  22 :  44. 
'Lu.  22 :  43. 


Matthew  26  to  28.  107 

"Down  shadowy  lanes,  across  strange  streams, 
Bridged  over  by  our  broken  dreams, 
Behind  the  misty  caps  of  years. 
Close  to  the  great  salt  fount  of  tears 
The  garden  lies.     Strive  as  you  may, 
You  cannot  miss  it  in  your  way; 
All  paths  that  have  been,  or  shall  be, 
Pass  somewhere  through  Gethsemane. 

"All  those  who  journey  soon  or  late 
Must  pass  within  the 'garden's  gate; 
Must  kneel  alone  in  darkness  there. 
And  battle  with  some  fierce  despair. 
God  pity  those  who  cannot  say: 
'Not  mine,  but  Thine ;'  who  only  pray 
'Let  this  cup  pass,'  and  cannot  see 
The  purpose  in  Gethsemane." 

Jiidas,  who  had  led  the  mob  to  this  sacred  spot,  identi- 
fied Jesns  by  much  kissing,  for  such  appears  to  be  the 
meaning  of  the  term,  and  Jesus  more  likely  called  him 
''Comrade,"  not  'Triend,"  as  usually  interpreted,  for  the 
word  has  both  meanings.  The  mob  consisted  of  the 
Temple  police,  who  were  Levites ;  the  Roman  band,  chief 
priests,  elders,  Pharisees  and  servants.  Peter  asked  to 
smite  them.  Jesus  said  to  them,  'T  am  He,"  and  they  fell 
back,  and  doubtless  Judas  fell  to  the  ground  with  them, 
but  they  all  arose  and  took  Him.  Peter  drew  his  sword 
and  cut  off  the  ear  of  Malchus,  a  servant  of  the  high  priest, 
and  Jesus  wrought  His  last  miracle  among  them  by  im- 
mediately healing  the  ear  of  His  enemy  (mentioned  only 
in  Lu.  22:50-51),  and  He  said  to  Peter,  that  if  it  were 
necessary  He  could  call  for  72,000  angels  to  His  aid. 
Chyrsostom  fancied  that  He  referred  to  the  slaying  of  the 
185,000  in  Sennacherib's  army  by  one  angel,  and  with 
twelve  legions  He  could  smite  the  whole  earth.  The 
choice  was  still  open  to  resort  to  physical  force,  as  sug- 


io8  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

gested  by  Satan  in  the  third  of  the  three  great  tempta- 
tions, but  Jesus  submitted  without  resistance  to  Satan's 
mahce  in  order  to  bring  the  whole  world  into  peace,  which 
could  only  be  done  by  suffering  love.^-  All  the  disciples 
forsook  Him,  and  one  young  man,  perhaps  Mark,  in  the 
excitement  came  too  close  to  the  mob,  and  they  took  hold 
of  his  garment,  and  he  fled.  David  Smith  suggests  that 
Mark's  being  called  Stump-fingered  was  due  doubtless  to 
his  fingers  being  shorn  off  by  a  sword  in  that  memorable 
midnight  scuffle. 

The  Trial  (26: 57-27: 31  ;  Mk.  14:53-15:20;  Lu. 
22:54-23:25;  Jno.  18:12-19:16). — There  appear  to 
have  been  four  trials :  ( i )  John  tells  us  of  the  trial  be- 
fore Arums,  who  had  been  high  priest  for  eight  or  nine 
years  up  to  14  A.  D.,  but  he  was  deposed  by  V'alerius 
Gratus,  and  Caiaphas,  son-in-law  to  Annas,  was  the  high 
priest  at  this  time,  the  five  sons  of  Annas  having  also 
served  in  that  high  office,  which  was  now  controlled  by 
politics  rather  than  as  a  life  tenure,  and  it  was  sold  to  the 
highest  bidder.  A  part  of  the  immense  wealth  of  these 
Sadducean  aristocrats,  for  to  this  sect  belonged  the  entire 
family  of  Annas,  was  derived  from  the  booths  in  the 
Temple  court,  where  they  had  their  table  for  money  chang- 
ing, and  where  they  sold  all  kinds  of  animals  for  sacrifice. 
Their  branch  establishment  on  the  Mount  of  Olives  was 
known  as  ''The  booths  of  the  sons  of  Annas,"  and  de- 
spised in  the  eyes  of  many  Jews,  although  necessity  com- 
pelled its  patronage. 

Annas,  although  the  ex-high  priest,  was  called  the  high 
priest,  which  was  customary,  according  to  Josephus,  the 
title  being  used  for  the  actual  holder  of  the  office  and  all  the 
living  predecessors,  very  much  as  our  term  "J^i<^^^^"  now- 

'==Isa.  53. 


Matthew  26  to  28.  109 

Jesus'  being  first  taken  before  him,  looks  as  though  Annas 
was  the  ringleader  of  the  conspiracy,  and  he  appears  to 
have  tried  to  charge  Jesus  with  apostasy  or  sedition. 

(2)  While  it  was  still  night  He  was  tried  before 
Caiaphas,  who  was  appointed  to  his  office  in  27  A.  D.  by 
Valerius  Gratus,  the  predecessor  of  Pilate,  and  he  was 
removed  from  his  office  in  37  A.  D.  It  was  he  who  ad- 
vised the  death  of  Jesus  under  pretence  of  patriotism  for 
fear  that  the  Romans  might  punish  the  whole  Jewish  na- 
tion because  of  the  teachings  of  Jesus,  and  at  the  same 
time  he  prophesied  that  the  mission  of  Jesus  was  to  "gather 
together  into  one"  all  nationalities  and  creeds.^"'  Caiaphas, 
who  was  a  Sadducee,  and  consequently  an  infidel  on  many 
important  principles  of  the  Hebrew  faith,  charged  Jesus 
with  blasphemy,  which  was  punishable  with  death,  ac- 
cording to  the  Law.^  ^  The  witnesses  in  the  trial  were  false, 
and  so  were  guilty  of  perjury,  and  since  the  Rabbinical 
law  did  not  condemn  a  man  on  his  own  confession,  the 
course  of  the  high  priest  was  illegal.  Jesus  was  spit  upon 
and  bufTeted  before  being  legally  condemned,  and  the 
Law  was  again  violated. 

Peter  went  into  a  fearful  temptation  in  coming  to  the 
house  of  the  high  priest.  Pie  could  be  of  no  service  there. 
While  it  appeared  to  be  a  brave  act,  Peter's  conduct  was 
cowardly  when  he  came  to  the  test.  John  was  present,  but 
nothing  is  said  of  his  course. 

(3)  The  trial  before  Annas  and  Caiaphas  appeared  to 
have  been  preparatory  to  the  trial  before  the  Sanhcdrin, 
which  could  not  meet  except  in  daylight,  and  as  soon  as 
it  became  light  their  session  was  held.  This  supreme 
court  of  the  Jews,  whose  origin  they  traced  back  to  the 


'John  11:47-53. 

*Ex,  22:20:  Nil.  25:  1-5;  Du.  13:  1-5;  18:9-20. 


no  Among  tpie  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

seventy  elders  whom  Moses  associated  with  him/^  was 
composed  of  seventy  members,  the  twenty-four  chief 
priests,  who  were  heads  of  the  twenty-four  courses;  the 
scribes,  rabbis  and  elders — representatives  from  the  clergy 
and  laity — with  the  high  priest  as  president,  making  sev- 
enty-one. According  to  the  Talmud,  they  met  in  the 
Hall  of  Hewn  Stone,  which  was  one  of  the  rooms  of  the 
Temple  adjoining  the  sanctuary,  where  were  the  chambers 
of  the  Holy  and  Most  Holy  Places.  The  court  sat  in  a 
semi-circle,  and  fronting  Caiaphas  stood  Jesus  with  His 
hands  pinioned  behind  His  back.  No  one  could  be  con- 
demned before  this  court  without  two  witnesses,  and  a  ver- 
dict could  not  be  rendered  on  the  same  day  as  the  trial; 
each  member,  instead  of  by  acclamation,  as  stated  in  the 
Scriptural  account,  had  to  give  his  vote  in  writing,  but  all 
these  laws  were  disregarded,  according  to  the  Scriptures, 
and  because  under  the  Romans  the  power  of  inflicting  the 
death  penalty  had  been  taken  from  them,^®  they  sent  Jesus 
to  Pilate  for  the  death  sentence  to  be  confirmed. 

Judas,  seeing  the  condition,  and  perhaps  desiring  to 
give  new  testimony  in  the  case,  and  thereby  requiring  a 
new  trial  before  being  taken  to  Pilate,  for  the  law  required 
this,  brought  back  the  $18.00  and  threw  the  money  down, 
perhaps  in  the  court  chamber,  while  the  Sanhedrin  was  in 
session. 

(4)  With  perhaps  a  rope  around  his  neck,  as  was  the 
custom  with  all  criminals,  Jesus  was  sent  bound  to  Pilate 
about  five  or  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  hurrying  to  get 
Him  executed  before  the  multitudes  began  to  stir.  Judaea 
being  an  imperial  province,  the  procurator,  or  governor, 
was  appointed  directly  by  the  Roman  emperor.  Pilate 
was  the  fifth  appointee  since  Archelaus  was  deposed  as 


^■^Nu.  11:16.      ''John  18:31. 


Matthew  26  to  28.  ill 

tetrarch.  His  administration  had  been  stormy.  Josephus 
tells  of  his  using  money  from  the  Temple  treasury  to  build 
an  aqueduct  for  the  supply  of  water  to  the  city,  and  on 
the  bitter  protest  by  the  Jews  against  the  use  of  the  money 
for  that  purpose,  Pilate  secretly  ordered  his  soldiers  to 
dress  in  citizens'  clothes  and  use  violence  whenever  needed 
to  suppress  the  protest,  and  many  Jews  were  wounded  and 
some  were  killed  out  of  these  circumstances.  Following 
close  on  to  that  was  the  mingling  of  the  blood  of  the 
Galilaeans  with  that  of  the  sacrifices  in  the  Temple  court.^' 
Also  in  decorating  the  palace  at  Jerusalem  he  had  hung 
up  many  richly-gilded  shields  bearing  the  image  of  Ti- 
berius, which  was  so  distasteful  to  the  Jews,  Pilate  re- 
fusing to  move  them,  that  they  appealed  to  the  em- 
peror himself,  who  ordered  their  removal  and  rebuked 
Pilate  for  not  being  more  diplomatic.  These  circum- 
stances, with  others,  had  made  a  breach  between  Pilate 
and  his  subjects. 

The  official  residence  was  at  Csesarea,  but  at  the  time  of 
the  Passover  Pilate  went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  maintain  or- 
der during  the  Feast,  when  he  occupied  the  Pra^torium, 
which  was  the  official  residence  there,  and  a  palace  of 
great  magnificence  which  Herod  the  Great  had  built  for 
himself.  For  fear  of  being  polluted,  the  Jews  would  not 
enter  the  heathen  palace ;  else  they  would  be  barred  from 
eating  the  Passover,  so  Jesus  appears  to  have  been  sent  in 
to  Pilate,  and  the  charges  against  Him  were  sedition, 
claim.ing  Himself  as  a  king  rivalling  Tiberius  Caesar,  and 
blasphemy,  affirming  His  ability  to  destroy  and  in  three 
days  to  reconstruct  the  Temple  building.  The  Sanhedrin 
claimed  to  have  tried  the  case,  and  they  only  wanted 
Pilate's  confirmation   to  the  verdict,  which  was  accord- 

"Lu.  13:1,2. 


112  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

ing  to  the  Roman  law.  Finding  that  Jesus  was  of 
GaHlee,  Pilate  sent  Him  to  Herod,  who  was  sojourn- 
ing, doubtless,  in  the  palace  of  the  Asmonaeans  while  at- 
tending the  Passover.  Jesus  made  no  answer  to  any  of 
Herod's  questions,  and  after  being  mocked  by  him  and 
his  court,  Herod,  out  of  courtesy  to  Pilate  because  of  the 
compliment,  returned  Him  to  the  Roman  governor. 

Pilate  tried  to  escape  the  responsibility  of  pronouncing- 
sentence  by  conforming  to  a  custom  of  releasing  a  prisoner 
at  the  Feast,  and  he  selected  the  most  notorious  criminal 
who  was  then  awaiting  his  execution.  In  several  ancient 
manuscripts  this  criminal  is  called  Jesus,  and  Wetstein  sug- 
gests that  he  was  the  son  of  a  rabbi,  he  being  called  Bar. 
meaning  *'son,"  and  Abba,  meaning  "father"  or  *'rabbi," 
so  the  proposition  was  whether  they  should  take  Jesus, 
the  son  of  a  rabbi,  or  Jesus,  who  claimed  to  be  the  Mes- 
siah. This  plan  failed,  for  the  chief  priests  and  elders 
persuaded  the  multitude  to  ask  for  the  release  of  the 
son  of  the  rabbi. 

Pilate's  wife,  Claudia  Procula,  who  was  said  to  have 
been  a  proselyte  to  the  Jewish  faith,  sent  a  message  to  the 
judgment  seat,  warning  the  governor  in  consequence  of 
a  dream  she  had  had  that  morning.  The  Romans  wore 
superstitious  regarding  dreams.  The  Emperor  Augustus 
begged  money  on  the  streets  of  Rome  in  consequence  of 
a  dream  that  he  had,  and  Homer  said  that  "our  dreams 
come  from  Jove."  But  this  was  doubtless  a  Divine  warn- 
ing, as  years  before  had  been  given  to  Joseph  in  the  in- 
fancy of  Jesus  when  they  made  their  flight  into  Egypt.  In 
keeping  with  the  Roman  and  Jewish  custom.  Pilate  washed 
his  hands  before  the  multitude  and  gave  Jesus  over  to  the 
soldiers  of  the  tower  of  Antonia  to  be  scourged.  With 
thongs  of  leather,  having  affixed  in  them  pieces  of  metal 


Matthew  26  to  28.  113 

or  bone,  so  that  they  cut  bloody  furrows  at  every  stroke, 
the  criminals  were  scourged,  and  frequently  they  died  un- 
der the  scourging.  In  addition  to  these  heavy  blows  from 
the  strong  arms  of  the  Roman  lictors,  they  spat  in  His 
face,  mocked  Him  and  put  on  His  head  a  crown  made  of 
the  branches  of  cactus,  or  the  prickly  pear,  making  the 
blood  run  freely  from  His  head.  Wounded,  bleeding  and 
garments  crimsoned  with  His  blood,  Pilate  brought  Him 
out  again  to  the  mob,  and,  standing  on  the  Gabbatha, 
which  was  the  broad  entrance  of  the  Praetorium  palace, 
he  said,  "Behold  the  man !"  But  dead  to  pity  and  lost 
to  love,  they  cried,  ''Crucify  Him !"  and  Pilate  delivered 
Jesus  to  them  to  be  crucified — perhaps  not  more  than  eight 
hours  since  His  arrest  and  a  few  hours  less  since  His 
trial,  so  that,  tracing  the  whole  procedure,  in  no  instance 
was  Jesus  really  tried.  They  rather  sought  to  condemn 
him  without  trial,  and  so  the  Son  of  God  was  lynched  by 
men.  The  crucifixion,  the  burial  and  the  resurrection  fol- 
lowed in  rapid  succession. 

[For  the  crucifixion,  see  Mk.   15:20-47;  for 
the  resurrection  and  the  commission,  see  Lu.  24.  J 


This  scene  takes  me  into  the  mystery  of  Thy  love  that 
surpasses  my  understanding.  Why  such  indignity  ?  Why 
such  suffering?  Why  such  shame?  He  went  ahead  of  me 
and  received  my  blows  upon  His  blessed  body — the  sinless 
suffering  for  me,  the  sinner.  Let  this  scene  stir  me  into 
new  depths  of  sacrifice,  shame  me  of  all  my  sin,  and  be  to 
me  such  a  spiritual  force  as  shall  make  my  life  more  obe- 
dient to  Thy  heavenly  will.  Not  until  then  shall  I  have 
understood  something  of  the  struggle  in  the  garden  and 
the  shame  in  the  trial.  T  bless  Thee  for  Thy  pity  for  me. 
Amen. 


114  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Questions. 

I.  Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter.  2.  What  the  title  and  limit  of  this  divi- 
sion? 3.  Name  the  chapters  of  this  division.  4.  Give  an  account 
of  the  four  preparatory  steps  to  His  Passion  in  the  opening  of 
the  26th  chapter.  5.  What  of  Matthew's  account  of  the  Passover 
(26:17-25)?  6.  What  of  the  Lord's  Supper?  7.  What  Old 
Testament  prophecy  did  He  quote  as  about  to  be  fulfilled  (26:  31 ; 
Zech.  13:7)?  8.  What  prediction  did  Jesus  make  concerning 
Peter  (26:33-35)?  9-  Give  a  full  account  of  the  struggle  and 
arrest  in  Gethsemane.  10.  Name  the  four  trials.  11.  What  of  the 
trial  before  Annas,  giving  the  account  both  from  the  lecture  and 
the  Scriptures?  12.  Also  before  Caiaphas.  13.  What  of  Peter's 
denial  (26:69-75)?  14.  What  of  the  trial  before  the  Sanhedrin? 
15.  What  of  the  course  of  Judas?  16.  What  prophecy  was  ful- 
filled in  buying  a  burying  ground  with  the  money  that  Judas 
brought  back  (27:6-10;  Zech.  11:  12,  13)?  17.  What  of  the  trial 
before  Pilate,  giving  the  account  both  from  the  lecture  and  from 
the  Scriptures?  18.  Where  was  He  crucified  (27:35-37)?  19. 
Where  buried  (27 :  57-60)  ?  20.  When  did  He  rise  from  the  dead 
(28:1-6)?  21.  Give  the  commission  (28:18-20).  22.  What  is 
your  prayer  in  the  shadow  of  His  trial? 


MARK. 
I.    The  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Galilee.— i-q. 


"The   beginning  of  the   Gospel   of  Jesus   Christ,   the    Son   of 
God"— Mark  (i:  i). 


"Come  ye  after  me,  and  I  will  make  you  to  become  fishers  of 
men." — Jesus  to  Peter  and  Andreiv  (i :  17) • 


"They  were  astonished  at  His  teaching;  for  He  taught  them  as 
having  authority,  and  not  as  the  scribes." — Mark  (i :  22). 


"In  the  morning,  a  great  while  before  day,  He  rose  up  and  went 
out,  and  departed  into  a  desert  place,  and  there  prayed." — Mark 
(1:35). 


"They  that  are  whole  have  no  need  of  a  physician,  but  they  that 
are  sick :  I  came  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners." — Jesus 
(2:17). 


"Whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of  God,  the  same  is  my  brother, 
and  sister,  and  mother." — Jesus  (3  :  3S)- 


"Go  to  thy  house  unto  thy  friends,  and  tell  them  how  great 
things  the  Lord  hath  done  for  thee,  and  how  He  had  mercy  on 
thee." — Jesus  to  the  Man  who  was  Cured  of  an  Unclean  Spirit 
(5:19). 


"This  people  honoreth  me  with  their  lips. 
But  their  heart  is  far  from  me. 
But  in  vain  do  they  worship  me, 
Teaching  as  their  doctrines  the  precepts  of  men." 
— Jest4s  Quoting  from  Isaiah  (Isa.  29 :    13 ;  Mk.  7  :  6,  7), 


MARK. 
I.     The  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Galilee. — 1-9. 

The  Book. — Mark  is  the  simplest  and  the  briefest  of 
the  Gospels,  but  at  the  same  time  it  is  the  most  vivid  and 
dramatic.  It  is  Mark  who  tells  us  that  about  two  thou- 
sand swine  ran  down  into  the'  sea  ;^  that  the  disciples  were 
sent  forth  two  by  two ;-  that  in  feeding  the  five  thousand 
the  people  sat  down  in  companies  of  hundreds  and  fifties  f 
that  Jesus  arose  a  great  while  before  day  to  pray,*  and  a 
dozen  more  such  touches,  so  that  Mark  is  the  Gospel  of 
art,  and  from  his  Gospel  Raphael  painted  his  great  picture 
of  the  transfiguration.  Kleim  said  of  him,  *'He  is  an 
author  in  a  flower-bedecked  garment." 

He  is  so  much  more  concerned  with  the  acts  of  Jesus 
than  his  sayings  that  more  than  half  of  his  Gospel  is  taken 
up  with  the  miracles  of  our  Lord.  Without  mentioning 
genealogy  or  birth,  Mark  plunges  into  the  records  of  Jesus 
and  shows  to  the  world  the  kindest,  the  most  practical  and 

Markings. — Undermark,  1:9,  11,  13,  22,  35;  3:6,  35;  6:5;  7: 
15;  8:29,  31;  also  undermark  the  words  "John"  in  1:4;  "Jesus 
came  into  Galilee"  in  1:14;  "Simon"  and  "Andrew"  in  1:16; 
"James"  and  "John"  in  1:19;  "Capernaum"  in  1:21;  "unclean 
spirit"  in  i :  23;  "Simon's"  in  i :  30;  "leper"  in  i :  40;  "Capernaum" 
in  2 :  I ;  "uncovered  the  roof"  in  2:4;  "Levi"  in  2 :  14 ;  "fast  not" 
in  2:18;  "grainfields"  in  2 :  23 ;  "hand  withered"  in  3:1;  "goeth 
up  into  the  mountain"  in  3 :  13 ;  "twelve"  in  3:  14;  "Beelzebub"  in 
3 :  22 ;  "against  the  Holy  Spirit"  in  3 :  29 ;  "by  the  seaside"  in  4 : 
I ;  "sower"  in  4:3;  "seed  upon  the  earth"  in  4 :  26 ;  "mustard 
seed"  in  4:  3i ;  "rebuked  the  wind"  in  4:  39;  "Gerasenes"  in  5:1; 
"Legion"  in  5:9;  "swine"  in  5 :  12 ;  "Jairus"  in  5 :  22 ;  "touched 
his  garment"  in  5 :  27 ;  "Arise"  in  5:41;  "the  carpenter"  in  6:3; 
"two  and  two"  in  6:7;  "Herod  heard"  in  6 :  14 ;  "head  of  John" 
in   6:25;    "five   thousand   men"   in   6:44;    "Bethsaida"   in   6:45; 

'5:13-     '6:7.      "6:40.      '•1:35. 

117 


ii8  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

the  most  powerful  of  men,  standing  before  us  as  our 
Divine  Saviour.  He  moves  swiftly  from  one  scene  to  the 
other,  and  forty-one  times  he  uses  the  word  "straightway." 
Although  Mark  does  not  appear  to  have  been  an  eye  wit- 
ness, yet  so  graphic  are  his  scenes  and  so  clear  the  person- 
ality of  Jesus  that  Wescott  called  his  Gospel  *'a  transcript 
of  life."  He  makes  fewer  references  to  the  Old  Testa- 
ment than  any  of  the  other  Gospels,  and  while  the  word 
"Law"  occurs  eight  times  in  Matthew,  nine  times  in  Luke 
and  fifteen  times  in  John,  it  does  not  occur  once  in  Mark. 
The  book,  which  is  a  brief  biography  of  Jesus,  appears  to 
have  been  written  for  Gentile  readers,  and  particularly  for 
the  Romans,  who  had  little  interest  in  either  the  Old  Tes- 
tament or  the  Law. 

While  its  order  was  usually  the  second  place  among  the 
Gospels,  as  in  our  Bibles  now,  yet  in  some  of  the  early 
manuscripts  it  is  fourth.  This  is  so  in  the  purple  silver 
manuscript  of  Upsala  in  Sweden,  which  gives  John  the 


"walking  on  the  sea"  in  6 :  48 ;  "Gennesaret"  in  6 :  53 ;  "unwashed 
hands"  in  T.2\  "Corban"  in  7:11;  "Syrophcenician"  in  7:26; 
"Ephphatha"  in  7:34;  "four  thousand"  in  8:9;  "a  sign"  in  8:  11; 
"beware  of  the  leaven"  in  8:  15;  "blind  man"  in  8:23;  "Caesarea 
Philippi"  in  8:27;  "rebuked  Peter"  in  8:33;  "transfigured"  in  9: 
2;  "dumb  spirit"  in  9:  17;  "who  was  the  greatest"  in  9:34;  "For- 
bid him  not"  in  9 :  39. 

Mark,  i  :  7,  8,  17 ;  2  :  17,  27 ;  3  :  16-19 ;  5  :  19 ;  6 :  18,  30 ;  7  :  21-23, 
31;  8:36,  37;  9:7,  10.  Zl,  40. 

Personal  mark,  7:6.  7 ;  8 :  35,  38 ;  9 :  23. 

Mark  with  the  cross,  8:31;  9:31. 

Mark  with  the  cross  crowned,  8:  38;  9:3. 

Mark  with  P,  meaning  prayer,  1:35;  6 :  46 ;  7 :  34. 

Divisions. — This  book  is  divided  as  follows :  I.  The  Ministry 
of  Jesus  in  Galilee,  1-9;  II.  The  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Peraea,  Ju- 
daea and  Jerusalem,  10-13;  III.  The  Trial,  Crucifixion,  Resurrec- 
tion and  Ascension,  14-16. 

Names  of  the  chapters  of  the  first  division :  i — John  and  Jesus ; 
2 — Controversy  with  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees ;  3 — Sin  against 
the  Holy  Spirit;  4 — Seaside  Parables  and  the  Storm;  5 — Legion 
and  Jairus ;  6 — Herod  Hearing  of  John  and  5000  fed ;  7 — Corban 
and  Miracles;  8 — Leaven  and  feeding  the  4000;  9 — Transfigura- 
tion and  Narrowness  Rebuked. 


Mark  t  to  9.  119 

second  place,  doubtless  to  give  to  the  two  apostles  the 
first  places — Matthew  and  John.  In  some  of  the  early 
commentaries  Matthew  receives  most  attention,  John  next 
and  Luke  next,  and  sometimes  Mark  was  left  almost  with- 
out a  comment,  because  it  had  so  much  in  common  with 
the  other  Gospels,  especially  Matthew.  Like  that  Gospel, 
it  was  early  in  circulation,  and  by  the  middle  of  the  sec- 
ond century  it  was  generally  recognized  throughout  the 
Church,  and  it  has  retained  its  place  without  suspicion. 

In  the  American  Revision  it  will  be  noticed  that  a  space 
drops  in  between  the  eighth  and  ninth  verses  of  the  six- 
teenth chapter,  which  means  that  the  remaining  portion 
of  that  chapter  (9-20)  does  not  belong  to  the  original 
manuscript  of  Mark.  The  end  appears  to  have  been  lost 
and  these  closing  verses  were  added  by  another.  Accord- 
ing to  Conybeare,  who  in  1891  discovered  an  Armenian 
manuscript  of  the  tenth  century  in  the  Patriarchal  Library 
of  Edschmiatzin,  these  words  were  taken  from  the  "Nar- 
ratives of  the  Words  of  the  Lord,"  a  work  written  by 
Ariston,  who  was  a  personal  disciple  of  Jesus,  and  lived 
to  the  beginning  of  the  second  century. 

The  Author  and  Date. — Unless  Mark  was  among 
those  who  left  Jesus  because  of  His  hard  sayings,^  or  was 
one  of  the  seventy  that  were  sent  out,**  or  was  the  man 
bearing  a  pitcher  of  water,'^  or  was  the  young  man  with  a 
linen  cloth  cast  about  him  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane,* 
all  four  of  which  are  traditional  positions — unless  he  be 
one  of  these,  or  filling  the  requirements  of  all  four,  we  do 
not  see  him  until  he  appears  in  the  book  of  Acts,''  where, 
about  sixteen  years  after  Pentecost,  he  accompanied  Paul 
and   Barnabas   from  Jerusalem   to   Antioch,   and   thence 


"John  6  :  66.  'Mk.  14 :  13.  ^Acts  12 :  25. 

'Lu.  10:  I.  '"Mk.  14:51,  52. 


I20  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

with  them  on  their  first  missionary  tour  as  far  as  Perga,*^* 
and,  for  some  unknown  reason,  he  left  them  and  returned 
to  Jerusalem. 

When  Paul  and  Barnabas  were  about  to  start  on  their 
second  tour,  because  Barnabas  insisted  on  taking  Mark, 
who  was  his  cousin,^^  they  had  a  sharp  contention,  which 
ended  in  Paul  taking  Silas  and  Barnabas  taking  Mark, 
and  they  went  on  separate  tours.^-  About  ten  years  later 
Mark  appears  to  become  more  serviceable,  and  he  was  with 
Paul  in  Rome,^^  where  Paul  speaks  of  him  as  his  "fellow- 
worker,"  and  in  his  last  letter,  which  was  addressed  to 
Timothy,  Paul  mentions  Mark  as  being  "useful  to  me  for 
ministering."^*  Early  writers  are  silent  as  to  the  time 
and  manner  of  his  death. 

His  Hebrew  name  was  John,  and  Mark  or  Marcus  was 
his  Roman  name,  as  with  Saul,  who  later  was  called  by  the 
Roman  name  of  Paulus,  or  Paul.  His  mother's  name  was 
Mary,'^^  who  lived  in  Jerusalem,  and  appears  to  have  been 
a  lady  of  some  means,  owning  her  own  home,  which  was 
the  central  gathering  place  for  the  Jerusalem  disciples, 
for  Peter  on  his  release  from  prison  at  midnight  went  di- 
rectly to  her  home,^^  which  may  have  been  the  scene  of 
the  Last  Supper,  and  the  place  of  their  waiting  in  prayer 
preceding  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Mark  appears  to  have  been  a  convert  of  Peter,  for  he 
calls  Mark  "my  son."^'  Irenosus  said,  "After  the  de- 
parture of  Paul  and  Peter,  Mark,  the  disciple  and  inter- 
preter of  Peter,  did  hand  down  to  us  in  writing  what  had 
been  preached  by  Peter" ;  likewise  Papias  and  others  so 
spoke  of  Him,  and  Tertullian  said,  "It  might  be  called  the 
Gospel  of  Peter."     Most  of  the  early  writers  believed  that 


'"Acts  13:  13.  ''Col.  4:  10;  Phi.  24.     ''Acts  12:  1-17. 

"Col.  4:  10.  "2  Tim.  4:  II.  "i  Pet.  5:  13. 

'"Acts  15:36-41.  "Acts  12:  12. 


Mark  i  to  9.  121 

it  was  written  in  Rome,  about  63-70  A.  D.  Chrysostom 
alone  affirmed  that  it  was  written  in  Alexandria.  It  is 
the  general  opinion  that  it  was  written  in  Greek,  just  as 
Paul  wrote  all  his  Epistles. 

The  lessons  of  this  first  division  are  considered  as  fol- 
lows: Of  the  thirty-six  miracles  recorded  in  the  Gos- 
pels eighteen  are  mentioned  in  Mark,  and  of  this  number 
sixteen  are  in  this  first  division.  Thirteen  of  these  are 
recorded  in  Matthew. 

Three  Miracles. — (i)  He  healed  a  demoniac  in  the 
synagogue  on  the  Sabbath  in  Capernaum  (1:21-28;  Lu. 
4:31-37).  The  demons  seemed  to  recognize  that  Christ 
had  come  to  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil.  Calvin  sug- 
gested that  the  reason  Jesus  objected  to  the  demons  testi- 
fying that  He  is  the  Son  of  God  was  that  it  might  arouse 
suspicion  in  the  minds  of  some  that  there  was  a  secret  un- 
derstanding between  Him  and  them. 

(2)  He  cured  a  deaf-mute  in  the  territory  of  Decapolis 
(mentioned  only  in  Mk.  7:  31-37).  Commenting  on  this 
miracle,  Trench  said,  "The  Lord  does  now  ofttimes  lead 
a  soul  apart,  sets  it  in  the  solitude  of  a  sick  chamber,  or  in 
loneliness  of  spirit,  or  takes  away  from  it  earthly  com- 
panions and  friends,  when  He  would  speak  with  it  and 
heal  it." 

(3)  He  healed  gradually  ^a  blind  man  near  Bethsaida 
(mentioned  only  in  Mk.  8:  22-26).  In  working  this  mir- 
acle He  showed  no  less,  but  more,  power,  and  it  may  be 
named  as  two  miracles. 

Parables. — Of  the  forty  parables  only  eight  are  re- 
corded in  Mark.  Six  of  these  are  mentioned  in  Matthew, 
and  of  the  remaining  two  one  is  mentioned  in  this  first 
division — the  seed  growing  secretly  (mentioned  only  in 
Mk.   4:26-29).     This   was    spoken    in    Gennesaret,   and 


122  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

illustrated  the  adaptability  of  the  Word  of  God  to  the 
hearts  of  men,  that  when  it  is  sown  there  the  harvest  will 
come,  as  when  one  sows  grain  and  then  leaves  it  until  it 
has  grown  into  the  harvest.  It  is  our  part  to  sow,  and 
God  will  bring  the  harvest.  It  has  in  it  the  lessons  of 
trust,  hope  and  cooperation.  As  there  is  a  law  in  the  nat- 
ural world  that  brings  first  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  then 
the  full  grain,  so  there  is  a  law  in  the  spiritual  world  by 
which  the  Word  grows  into  ripened  spiritual  life. 

[For  the  ministry  of  John,  the  baptism  of 
Jesus  and  the  temptation,  see  Mt.  3:  i ;  4:  11.] 

The  Jordan  (1:9) . — This  river  rises  in  the  Lebanon 
mountains,  flows  through  Lake  Merom,  then  through  the 
Sea  of  Galilee,  and  then,  by  curves  and  rapid  descents, 
covering  200  miles,  to  the  Dead  Sea,  which  may  have  been 
reached  in  sixty-five  miles  by  a  straight  course.  The  width 
of  the  river  ranges  from  thirty  to  seventy  yards,  and  some- 
times in  the  spring  it  is  two  miles  wide.  Its  fall  from  the 
Sea  of  Galilee  to  the  Dead  Sea  is  610  feet,  or  nine  feet 
and  three  inches  per  mile.  The  Hudson  falls  about 
twelve  feet  per  mile,  the  IMississippi  about  seven  inches 
per  mile,  and  the  Ohio  little  more  than  eight  inches  per 
mile.  The  Tweed  falls  sixteen  feet  per  mile,  the  Clyde 
fourteen  feet  and  the  Thames  one  and  a  half  feet  per  mile. 
By  the  rapid  turns  of  the  Jordan  its  actual  fall  is  reduced, 
according  to  Sir  Charles  Warren  of  the  Royal  English 
Engineers,  to  not  more  than  three  feet  per  mile. 

[For  the  call  of  Andrew,  Simon,  James  and 
John,  see  Jno.  i :  35-42 ;  for  healing  Peter's 
mother-in-law,  see  Mt.  8:  14,  15 ;  for  healing  the 
leper,  see  Mt.  8 :  1-4 ;  for  healing  the  palsied  man, 
see  Mt.  9:  1-8;  for  call  of  Levi,  see  Mt.  9:  9-13 ; 
for  fasting,  undressed  cloth  on  an  old  garment, 
and  new  wine  in  old  wine-skins,  see  Mt.  9 :  14-17  ; 


Mark  i  to  9.  i:?3 

for  the  Sabbath,  see  Lu.  6:  1-5;  for  healing  the 
man  with  the  withered  hand,  see  Mt.  12:9-14; 
for  the  appointing  of  the  twelve,  see  Lu.  6: 
13-16.] 

The  Sin  Against  the  Holy  Spirit  (3:20-30;  Mt. 
12:22-37). — The  Jerusalem  scribes  charged  Jesus  with 
casting  out  demons  by  Beelzebub,  the  prince  of  the  de- 
mons. Out  of  that  controversy,  and  bound  to  it  in  Mat- 
thew by  '"therefore"  and  also  in  Mark  by  "because  they 
said  He  hath  an  unclean  spirit,"  Jesus  affirmed  that 
blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Spirit  is  an  eternal  sin.  John 
appears  to  refer  to  this  sin  as  one  for  the  forgiveness  of 
which  one  should  not  pray.^^  To  reflect  on  his  humble 
birth  or  the  poverty  of  His  earthly  life  was  pardonable, 
but  to  charge  Jesus  with  performing  His  miracles  by  the 
power  of  the  devil,  rather  than  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  was 
unpardonable.  Jesus  was  begotten  by  the  Holy  Spirit,^^ 
and  by  the  Holy  Spirit  was  he  offered  upon  the  Cross,-*' 
and  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  He  performed  His 
miracles,  consequently  to  deny  this  Divine  power  to  Jesus 
was  to  charge  Him  with  being  in  league  with  the  devil.  It 
will  be  noticed  that  this  was  a  sin  of  the  tongue.  If  one 
rejects  the  Son,  He  may  on  the  testimony  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  be  convicted  to  believe  on  the  Son,  but  if  he  blas- 
phemes the  Holy  Spirit,  the  only  possibility  for  his  con- 
viction is  blocked,  and  it  is  inferred  that  one  who  has  done 
this  will  not  change. 

Instead  of  it  being  limited  to  the  period  of  the  earthly 
life  of  Jesus,  Whitby  rather  thought  it  had  to  do  with  the 
future,^^  and  so  referred  to  the  present  dispensation,  that 
is,  from  the  time  of  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost  on  through  this  age  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 

"i  John  5:16.       '"Heb.  9:14. 

"Lii.  1 :  35.  '^Mk.  3  :  28 ;  Lu.  12:10. 


124  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

when  He  is  the  Vicar  of  Christ  on  earth.  There  are  a 
great  many  who  can  be  forgiven,  but  by  their  ow^n  choice 
they  will  not  be,  for  they  go  to  destruction,-  Those  who 
blaspheme  against  the  Holy  Spirit,  having  rejected  His 
testimony,  upon  which  faith  is  based,  will  likewise  go  to 
destruction  without  a  possibility  of  pardon.  The  two  classes 
become  the  one  lost  class.  It  is  a  tremendous  warning 
against  transgressing  the  bounds  beyond  the  Father's  for- 
giveness, and  likewise  a  warning  against  the  careless  use 
of  the  tongue.  Men  shall  be  called  on  to  give  an  account 
not  only  of  their  wicked  words  against  the  Holy  Spirit, 
but  also  of  every  injurious  word,  in  Matthew  termed  "idle 
word,"  that  shall  be  spoken  against  another, 

[For  the  parables  of  the  sower  and  the  mus- 
tard seed,  see  Mt,  13:  1-23,  31,  32;  for  calming 
the  tempest,  see  Mt.  8:  18-27;  for  casting  out  a 
legion  of  demons,  see  Mt.  8 :  28-34 ;  for  raising 
from  the  dead  the  daughter  of  Jairus  and  healing 
the  woman  with  the  issue  of  blood,  see  Mt.  9: 
18-26.] 

The  Carpenter  (6:  1-3). — It  was  a  custom  among  the 
Jews  that  every  boy  should  be  taught  a  trade,  and  it  ap- 
pears that  Jesus  worked  with  Joseph,  who  tradition  says 
was  not  a  very  good  carpenter,  but  Jesus  must  have  ex- 
celled in  this  trade,  which  was  a  real  art,  as  evinced  by 
the  tools  that  were  used  and  by  the  many  magnificent 
buildings  erected  at  that  time.  Jesus  dignified  manual  la- 
bor, and  his  identification  with  the  laboring  world  is  a  re- 
buke to  that  unchristian  pride  that  despises  manual  em- 
ployments. 

The  Four  Half-brothers  and  Sisters  of  Jesus 
(6:3-6). — There  are  nearly   a   dozen   references  in   the 

"Mt.  7:13.  14. 


Mark  i  to  9.  125 

Scriptures  to  the  brothers  of  Jesus.  In  every  instance  in 
the  Gospels  they  are  mentioned  in  connection  with  Mary, 
and  so  they  must  have  been  a  part  of  her  household.  There 
is  nothing  to  imply  that  they  were  adopted  children  or 
children  of  Joseph  by  a  former  marriage.  These  "breth- 
ren" could  not  have  been  any  of  the  apostles,  for  it  is 
stated  that  His  brethren  did  not  believe  on  him.-^  Luke 
said  that  Mary  "brought  forth  her  first-born  son/'^*  im- 
plying that  she  gave  birth  to  other  children. 

There  is  no  ground  whatever  for  the  perpetual  vir- 
ginity of  Mary,  and  said  Philip  Schaff,  "Neither  His 
nor  her  honor  requires  the  perpetual  virginity  after  His 
birth,  unless  there  be  something  impure  and  unholy  in  the 
marriage  relation  itself.  The  latter  we  cannot  admit,  since 
God  instituted  marriage  in  the  state  of  innocence  in  Para- 
dise, and  Saint  Paul  compares  it  to  the  most  sacred  rela- 
tion existing,  the  union  of  Christ  with  the  Church." 

[For  the  commission  to  the  twelve,  see  Lu. 

9:1-6.] 

Beheading  of  John  the  Baptist  (6:  14-29;  Mt.  14: 
1-12;  Lu.  9:  7-9). — According  to  Josephus,  John  was  im- 
prisoned in  the  castle  of  Machserus,  one  of  the  strongest 
fortresses  among  the  Jews  and  situated  east  of  the  Dead 
Sea,  where  the  ruins  are  still  found.  Plerod  Philip,  who 
was  the  oldest  son  of  Herod  the  Great,  was  disinherited  by 
his  father's  will  because  of  the  treachery  of  his  mother. 
He  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  fourth  son  of  Plerod, 
who  v/as  also  named  Philip.  The  first  Philip,  who  lived 
as  a  private  citizen  in  Rome,  married  Herodias,  who  was 
the  daughter  of  his  half-brother,  Aristobulus,  and  conse- 
quently was  half-niece  to  Philip.  They  had  a  daughter 
whom  tradition  has  named  Salome. 


"John  7:5.    -""Lu.  2 :  7. 


126  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Herod  Antipas,  who  was  the  second  son  of  Herod  the 
Great,  and  by  his  father's  will  became  tetrarch  of  Galilee 
and  Peraea,  visited  the  home  of  his  brother  Philip  in  Rome, 
and  fell  in  love  with  Herodias,  who  likewise  was  his  half- 
niece.  He  planned  for  the  divorce  of  his  wife,  who  was 
the  daughter  of  Aretas,  king  of  the  Nabatseans,  whether 
at  the  request  of  Herodias  or  his  own  wishes  is  not  known, 
for  plurality  of  wives  was  common  at  that  time,  Herod  the 
Great  having  had  ten ;  but  the  daughter  of  Aretas  fled  to 
her  father's  house,  and  Herodias  and  her  daughter  Salome 
came  into  Herod's  palace.  John  denounced  Herod's 
course,  and  in  order  to  keep  him  quiet,  for  John  had  great 
influence,  Herod  imprisoned  him,  and  later  beheaded  him. 

"John,  than  which  man  a  sadder  or  a  greater 
Not  till  this  day  has  been  of  woman  born, 
John  like  some  lonely  peak  by  the  Creator 
Fired  with  the  red  glow  of  the  rushing  morn." 

Nine  years  after  Herod  became  involved  in  a  war  with 
Aretas,  and  his  army  was  defeated,  which  the  Jews  at- 
tributed as  a  Divine  punishment  upon  him  for  putting 
John  to  death.  Later  Herodias  persuaded  Herod  to  visit 
Rome  and  demand  from  the  emperor  the  title  of  king,  and 
out  of  this  ambitious  scheme  Herod  instead  was  banished 
into  Gaul,  and  later  into  Spain,  where  he  died. 

[For  the  feeding  of  the  5000, see  Mt.  14: 13-21  ; 
for  the  walking  on  the  water,  see  Mt.  14:  22-33.] 

Gennesaret  (6:53-56). — This  name  meant  *'the  gar- 
den of  princes,"  and  it  stood  for  a  remarkably  fertile  plain 
on  the  northwest  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee  near  Caper- 
naum, about  a  mile  broad  and  two  miles  long,  and  famed 
for  its  fruits  of  the  most  delicious  flavor,  described  as 
"sweet  as  a  harp's  sweetest  music,"  which  were  so  sought 


Mark  i  to  9.  127 

after  that  they  were  forbidden  to  be  sold  in  Jerusalem 
during  any  of  the  Feasts,  for  fear  the  people  would  attend 
the  Feasts  merely  for  the  delicious  grapes,  figs  and  other 
fruits  of  Gennesaret. 

Traditions  (7:  1-23  ;  Mt.  15  :  1-20). — These  were  com- 
mandments and  practices  handed  down  from  generation 
to  generation  for  which  there  were  no  foundations  in  the 
Scriptures.  To  many  Jews  the  traditions  were  more 
sacredly  guarded  than  the  requirements  of  Scripture,  as 
has  been  the  case  frequently  in  the  history  of  the  Church. 
In  the  Talmud  it  was  said,  ''The  words  of  the  elders  are 
mightier  than  the  words  of  the  prophets." 

Unwashed  hands  did  not  refer  to  soiled  hands,  but  re- 
ferred to  the  religious  ceremony  of  rubbing  the  open  palm 
with  the  closed  fist  while  water  was  poured  on,  or  if  one 
had  gone  from  home  it  required  the  immersing  of  the 
hands  three  times  up  to  the  wrist ;  likewise  their  vessels 
were  immersed,  according  to  the  tradition  of  the  elders,  as 
a  ceremony  of  purification.  This  requirement  was  par- 
tially sanitary,-^  but  it  was  the  ceremonial  part  that  was 
the  subject  of  discussion.  Because  of  their  traditions  they 
wickedly  dodged  their  filial  obligations  to  their  parents  by 
saying  "corban,"  an  Aramaic  word  which  meant  that  in- 
stead of  giving  support  to  one's  father  and  mother,  if  he 
had  given  his  money  into  the  Temple  treasury  in  fulfilment 
of  a  vow  that  he  would  not  help  his  parents  any  more,  he 
was  consequently  relieved  of  any  further  responsibility  to 
help  them.  Jesus  taught  that  duty  to  one's  parents  was  a 
higher  law  than  the  keeping  of  a  rash  vow. 

[For  the  Svrophoenician  woman,  see  Mt.  15: 
21-28.] 

"Lev.  15. 


128  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Decapolis  (7:31). — This  was  a  region  of  ten  allied 
cities  east  of  the  Jordan  leagued  together  for  commercial 
purposes.  Among  them  was  Gadara,  which  was  about  six 
miles  southeast  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  celebrated  for  its 
temples,  theaters  and  warm  baths.  Gerasa  was  another. 
The  swine  owners  may  have  lived  in  both  of  these  cities, 
since  Gadarenes  and  Gerasenes  are  mentioned  in  connec- 
tion with  this  miracle.  Damascus  also  was  one  of  these 
ten  cities,  and  there  were  seven  others  of  less  prominence. 

[For  the  feeding  of  the  4000.  see  Mt.  15: 
32-39;  for  the  sign  from  heaven,  see  Lu.  11: 
29-32;  for  leaven,  see  Lu.  12:  i.] 

C^sarea  Philippi  (8:27). — Travelers  have  regarded 
this  as  the  most  beautiful  and  romantic  spot  in  all  Pales- 
tine, standing  on  a  triangular  terrace  nearly  1200  feet 
above  the  sea  level,  and  Mount  Hermon  rising  8000  feet 
to  the  north  of  it.  It  is  surrounded  by  fertile  fields  and 
luxuriant  vegetation.  Augustus  gave  this  region  to  Plerod 
the  Great  in  20  B.  C.  Philip,  the  fourth  son  of  Herod 
the  Great,  to  whom  this  territory,  as  a  part  of  Trachonitis, 
fell  by  his  father's  will,  enlarged  the  town  and  named  it 
Caesarea  in  honor  of  the  Roman  emperor,  and  added 
'Thilippi"  to  distinguish  it  from  Caesarea  in  Palestine,  and 
doubtless  as  a  memorial  to  his  own  name.  The  white 
marble  temple  built  there  by  Herod  the  Great  to  Augustus 
lies  in  ruins  with  the  other  famous  buildings,  and  a  few 
Moslems  compose  the  village  population. 

[For  Peter's  confession,  see  Mt.  16:  13-20.] 

The  Transfiguration  (9:  1-7;  Mt.  16:28-17:7;  Lu. 
9:  27-36). — This  scene  is  presumably  laid  on  Mount  Her- 


Mark  i  to  9.  129 

mon.  In  Matthew  this  wonderful  prophecy  in  tableau  is 
broken  into  by  taking  16:28  away  from  the  following 
chapter,  where  it  rightly  belongs  as  the  first  verse.  In  both 
Mark  and  Luke  it  will  be  noticed  that  it  has  its  right  place 
in  immediately  preceding  the  transfiguration.  In  9:  i 
Jesus  promised  that  some  of  them  standing  by  Him  would 
see  the  Kingdom  of  God  coming  in  power  before  their 
death,  and  six  days  after  He  presents  the  transcendent  pic- 
ture of  His  glorious  appearing  zvhen  He  shall  return  with- 
out sin  unto  salvation.  George  Rawson  makes  this  scene 
the  subject  of  these  beautiful  lines: — 

"His  raiment  white  and  glistering, 

White  as  the  glistering  snow ; 
His  form  a  blaze  of  splendor, 

The  like  no  sun  can  show ; 
His  wondrous  eyes  resplendent 

In  ecstasy  of  praj'er; 
His  radiant  face  transfigured 

To  Heaven's  own  beauty  there. 

''Deep  shadows  are  the  edging 

Of  that  short  transient  peace, 
For  spirit-forms  come  warning 

Of  the  foredoomed  decease. 
Words  from  the  cloud  give  witness — 

'This,  My  Beloved  Son'; 
The  three  look  round  in  terror. 

And  Jesus  is  alone. 

"Soon  passed  that  scene  of  grandeur; 
But  steadfast,  changeless,  sure. 
Our  blest  transfiguration 
Is  promised  to  endure; 
The  manifested  glory 

Of  our  great  Lord  to  see 
Shall  change  us  to  His  likeness ; 
As  He  is,  we  shall  be. 


130  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

"O  vision  all  surpassing, 

Filling  the  heavenly  height ! 
The  Lamb,  once  slain,  transfigured 

In  the  throne-rainbow's  light! 
There  for  the  endless  ages 

All  glorified  is  He, 
And  His  eternal  glory 

Shall  ours  forever  be." 

With  Him  was  Moses,  whom  God  buried,  representing 
the  dead  in  Christ,  who  will  be  raised  then,  and  also  Elijah, 
who  did  not  die,  representing  those  who  will  be  alive  when 
He  comes.  ''The  Lord  Himself  shall  descend  from 
Heaven.  .  .  .  and  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first; 
then  we  that  are  alive,  that  are  left  shall  together  with 
them  he  caught  up  in  the  clouds  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the 
air:"-''  Still  another  passage:  "This  corruptible" — the 
dead  in  Christ — ''must  put  on  incorruption,  and  this  mor- 
tal"— the  living  Christians — "must  put  on  immortality."-^ 

Moses  likewise  may  have  stood  for  the  Law  and  Elijah 
for  the  Prophets.  Henceforth  Jesus  was  to  be  the  author- 
ity— ''Hear  ye  Him."  Whether  its  chief  lesson  was  to  pre- 
sent the  picture  of  His  second  advent  or  to  proclaim  His 
absolute  authority,  it  was  the  sublimest  vision  that  ever 
came  into  human  sight. 

[For  the  explanation  of  Elijah,  see  Mt.  ii: 
1 1- 14;  for  healing  of  the  epileptic  boy,  see  Mt. 
17:  17-20;  for  the  discussion  as  to  who  should  be 
greatest,  see  Lu.  9:  46.] 


Out  of  Thy  prophecies  by  words  and  pictures  I  am  led 
to  look  into  Thy  wonderful  plan.     There  is  no  God  but 

'"i  Thess.  4:  16,  17.     -'i  Cor.  15:  53. 


I 


Mark  i  to  9.  131 

Thyself,  and  all  passions  of  sin  are  but  billows  beneath 
Thy  feet,  which  Thou  wilt  tread  into  calm,  as  did  Jesus 
on  the  watery  pavements  of  rough  Galilee.  Let  me  carry 
these  things  of  Thine  in  my  own  bosom  rather  than  the 
things  I  think,  or  that  others  have  thought,  and  I  shall  be 
a  part  of  all  Thy  mighty  purposes,  as  some  little  unob- 
served flower  blooms  and  sends  out  its  fragrance  in  per- 
fect obedience  to  Thy  law.  Give  to  me  visions  of  service, 
that  I  may  work  until  the  prophecy  of  the  transfiguration 
shall  be  fulfilled  through  Jesiis  my  Redeemer.    Amen. 


Questions. 


I.  Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter.  2.  Name  the  divisions  of  the  book  of 
Mark.  3.  What  the  title  and  limit  of  the  first  division.  4.  Name 
the  chapters  of  this  division.  5.  What  of  Mark's  relation  to  the 
other  Gospels  ?  6.  For  whom  does  it  appear  to  have  been  espe- 
cially written?  7.  What  of  its  position  among  the  other  Gos- 
pels ?  8.  Explain  the  authorship  of  16 : 9-20.  9.  What  of  the 
author  and  date  of  the  book  of  Mark?  10.  With  what  prophecy 
does  Mark  open  his  Gospel  (1:2,  3)?  11.  Give  an  account  of 
the  miracles  of  this  division  mentioned  only  in  the  lecture.  12. 
Explain  the  lesson  from  the  one  parable  mentioned  in  the  lecture 
of  this  division.  13.  What  of  the  Jordan?  14.  What  was  the 
opening  message  of  Jesus  in  His  Galilsean  ministry  (i:  14,  15)? 
15.  Why  was  Jesus  an  early  riser  (i :  35)  ?  16.  What  answer  did 
Jesus  make  for  associating  with  publicans  and  sinners  (2:17)? 
17.  What  were  the  circumstances  after  healing  the  man  with  the 
withered  hand  (3 :  7-12)  ?  18.  What  was  the  sin  against  the  Holy 
Spirit?  19.  How  did  Jesus  regard  His  kinship  with  His  mother 
and  brethren  (3:31-35)?  20.  What  of  His  manual  labor?  21. 
What  of  His  brothers  and  sisters?  22.  What  caused  Jesus  to 
marvel  in  Nazareth  (6:6)?  23.  What  were  the  circumstances 
regarding  the  death  of  John  the  Baptist?  24.  What  of  Gennesa- 
ret?  25.  What  of  traditions?  26.  What  causes  personal  defile- 
ment   (7:15,    20-23)?     27.  What    of    Decapolis?     28.  What    of 


132  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Csesarea  Philippi?  29.  After  Peter's  confession  what  did  Jesus 
begin  to  teach  His  disciples  (8:31)?  30.  How  did  Jesus  regard 
Peter's  rebuke  (8:32,  33)^  3i-  What  principles  did  Jesus  an- 
nounce concerning  cross-bearing,  worldly  profit  and  courage 
(8:34-38)?  32.  What  of  the  transfiguration?  33.  After  seeing 
the  transfiguration,  what  charge  did  Jesus  give  to  His  apostles 
(9:9,  10)?  34.  What  did  He  teach  His  disciples  concerning  the 
time  of  His  resurrection  (9:  3i,  3^)  ?  35-  What  phase  of  narrow- 
ness rebuked  (9:  38-50)  ?  36.  What  is  your  prayer  in  the  light  of 
the  message  of  this  chapter? 


MARK. 

il.     The  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Per^a,  Jud^a  and 
Jerusalem. — 10-13. 


"What  therefore   God  hath  joined  together,  let  not  man  put 
asunder." — Jcsiis  (10:9). 


"Children,  how  hard  is  it  for  them  that  trust  in  riches  to  enter 
into  the  Kingdom  of  GodY'— Jesus  (10:24). 


"Whosoever   would   become  great   among   you,    shall   be   your 
minister." — Jesus  (10:43). 


"All  things  whatsoever  ye  pray  and  ask  for,  believe  that  ye 
receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have  them.  And  whensoever  ye  stand 
praying,  forgive,  if  ye  have  aught  against  any  one;  that  your 
Father  also  who  is  in  Heaven  may  forgive  you  your  trespasses." — 
Jesus  (11 :  24,  25). 


"Render  unio  Caesar  the  things  that  are  Caesar's,  and  unto  God 
the  things  that  are  God's." — Jesus  to  the  Pharisees  and  Herodians 
(12:  17). 


"Ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  men  for  my  name's  sake:  but  he  that 
endureth  to  the  end,  the  same  shall  be  saved." — Jesus  to  His  Dis- 
ciples on  the  Mount  of  Olives  (13:  13). 


"Take  ye  heed,  watch  and  pray:   for  ye  know   not   when   the 
time  \s."— Jesus  to  His  Disciples  (13  :  33). 


134 


MARK. 

11.     The  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Per^a,  Jud.ea  and 
Jerusalem. — 10-13. 

The  two  miracles  of  this  division  have  been  mentioned 
in  Matthew.  Of  the  three  parables  of  this  division,  two 
are  mentioned  in  Matthew  and  the  remaining  one  is  the 
householder  giving  authority  and  command  to  His  ser- 
vants (mentioned  only  in  Mark  13  :  34,  37).  It  was  spoken 
on  the  Mount  of  Olives  and  illustrated  the  practicability 
and  necessity  of  watching,  not  for  death  nor  the  day  of 
judgment,  but  for  the  return  of  the  Lord,  which  is  fre- 
quently mentioned  in  the  Scriptures  as  the  one  great 
motive  for  patience,^  purity,-  fidelity^  and  godliness.^ 

[For  beyond  the  Jordan,  see  Mt.  19:  i.] 

Markings. — Undermark,  10:  i,  6,  45  ;  13 :  2,  4,  10,  13,  29,  31 ;  also 
undermark  the  words  "divorcement"  in  10:4;  "little  children"  in 
10:  13;  "Good  Teacher"  in  10:  17;  "One  thing  thou  lackest"  in  :o: 
21;  "riches"  in  10:23;  "going  up  to  Jerusalem"  in  10:32;  "right 
hand"  and  "left"  in  10:37;  "Bartimaeus"  in  10:46;  "Jerusalem" 
in  11:  i;  "colt"  in  11:4;  "fig  tree"  in  11:13;  "money  changers" 
in  11:  15;  "authority"  in  11:28;  "husbandman"  in  12:2;  "tribute" 
in  12:  14;  "seven  brethren"  in  12:20;  "commandment"  in  12:28; 
"not  far"  in  12:34;  "^  poor  widow"  in  12:42;  "wars"  in  13:7; 
"earthquakes"  and  "famines"  in  13:8;  "councils"  in  13:9;  "trib- 
ulation" in  13:  19;  "false  Christs"  and  "false  prophets"  in  13:22; 
"watch"  in  13  :  35. 

Mark,  10:  5,  25;  11:  11,  17;  12:  13,  17,  25,  37;  13:23,  27. 

Personal  mark,  10:  15,  43;  11:22,  24,  25;  12:29-31. 

Mark  with  cross,  10 :  33,  34. 

Mark  with  cross  crowned,  13:  26. 

Mark  with  P,  meaning  prayer,  10:  16;  11 :  25. 

Names  of  the  chapters  in  the  second  division :  10 — Divorce  and 
Riches;  11 — Entry  into  Jerusalem  and  Authority  Questioned; 
12 — The  Husbandman  and  the  Poor  Widow;  13 — Signs  of  His 
coming. 

'Jas.  5:7,  8.     ^i  John  3:  2-3.     'Lu.  12 :  42-44.     *2  Pet.  3  :  11-13. 

135 


136  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Divorce  (10:2-12;  Mt.  i9:3-i3;Lu.  16:  18).— One  of 
the  strongest  bulwarks  of  the  Roman  empire  had  been  its 
sacred  regard  for  the  family  life.  For  more  than  five 
hundred  years  divorce  was  unknown,  but  upon  the  rise 
of  the  empire  divorce  became  common  and  a  family  was 
regarded  as  much  a  misfortune  as  in  some  quarters  now. 
In  both  Rome  and  Greece  either  party  could  dissolve  the 
marriage  tie  for  any  cause  at  any  time,  and  do  it  with  the 
simplicity  of  dismissing  a  servant.  Cato,  the  younger, 
divorced  his  wife  that  he  might  give  her  to  a  friend.  Mar- 
riage was  looked  upon  with  disfavor.  Seneca  said  the 
women  married  in  order  to  be  divorced,  and  were  divorced 
in  order  to  marry.  Cicero  dismissed  from  his  home  Teren- 
tia  after  thirty  years  of  married  life.  The  condition  was 
somewhat  better  among  the  Jews,  but  their  tendency  was 
to  easy  divorce.  The  school  of  Hillel  allowed  it  for  any 
cause,  and  that  position  was  very  much  more  popular  than 
the  school  of  Shammai,  that  forbade  divorce  except  for 
adultery. 

Jesus  affirmed  that  "from  the  beginning  it  hath  not 
been  so."^  Because  of  the  hardness  of  their  hearts,  Moses 
permitted  divorce  on  the  husband's  finding '*some  unseemly 
thing"  in  his  wife,**  but  in  the  beginning  they  were  male 
and  female,  and  Jesus  came  to  restore  the  things  as  they 
were  in  the  beginning,  and  He  forbade  any  man  breaking 
or  loosening  the  bond.  According  to  Mark,  Jesus  said, 
"Whosoever  shall  put  away  his  wife  and  marry  another, 
committeth  adultery  against  her;  and  if  she  herself  shall 
put  away  her  husband  and  marry  another,  she  committeth 
adultery."^  According  to  Luke,  He  said,  "Everyone  that 
putteth  away  his  wife  and  marrieth  another,  committeth 
adultery :  and  he  that  marrieth  one  that  is  put  away  from 

"Mt.  19:8.     'Du.  24: 1-4.     ^Mk.  10:  II,  12. 


Mark  io  to  13.  137 

a  husband,  committeth  adultery."^  The  account  in  Mat- 
thew is  similar,  but  adds,  "except  for  fornication,"'*  which, 
while  in  this  verse  the  guilt  appears  to  be  thrown  entirely 
upon  the  woman,  we  must  take  the  liberty  to  apply  it  to 
both,  either  the  man  or  the  woman. 

From  all  this  we  would  conclude  that  as  in  the  begin- 
ning, and  likewise  for  five  hundred  years  in  heathen  Rome, 
there  were  no  divorces,  so  Jesus  forbade  the  dissolution  of 
the  marital  relations  as  the  improper  state  of  society,  but 
because  of  the  wickedness  of  the  human  race,  and  as 
Moses  had  allowed  divorces  for  things  unseemly  in  the 
wife,  Jesus  allows  divorce  for  only  one  cause,  although 
there  appears  from  the  general  teachings  of  the  Scriptures 
the  propriety  of  disannulling  the  marriage  covenant  on 
account  of  desertion,  when  that  desertion  is  occasioned  by 
one  of  the  parties  becoming  a  Christian,  and  in  conse- 
quence the  other  deserts  the  home.  "The  brother  or  the 
sister  is  not  under  bondage  in  such  cases  ;"^*-  but  the  pres- 
ent wholesale  divorce  practices  for  incompatibility  of  tem- 
per lowers  the  marriage  covenant  to  a  mere  bargain  and 
sale,  and  in  many  cases  now  divorces  are  gotten  for  the 
purpose  of  remarrying,  perhaps  not  at  that  time,  although 
that  too  often  is  done,  but  to  remarry  later  if  the  oppor- 
tunity for  another  bargain  presents  itself,  while  patience, 
forbearance  and  Divine  grace  are  too  frequently  not  con- 
sidered as  parts  of  this  sacred  covenant. 

[For  Jesus  blessing  little  children,  see  Mt.  19: 
13-15.I 
Riches  (10:17-31;  Mt.  19:16-30;  Lu.  18:18-30). — 
The  incident  of  the  rich  young  ruler,  probably  of  a  syna- 
gogue, doubtless  occurred  in  Persea.    It  furnishes  a  strik- 
ing illustration  of  one  sin  ruining  a  whole  life,  and  a  sin 


'Lu.  16 :  iS.     "Mt.  19 :  9.      ^'i  Cor.  7. 


138  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

that  is  lightly  considered  in  this  day— namely,  the  love  of 
money.  Paul  affirmed  that  it  is  ''the  root  of  all  kinds 
of  evil.""  This  young  man  had  kept  the  letter  of  all  the 
commandments,  but  he  had  violated  the  spirit  of  the  tenth 
commandment,  which  has  to  do  v^ith  the  love  of  money. 
Jesus  attempted  to  heal  the  heart  cancer,  but  the  young 
man  refused  the  cure  because  to  him  the  love  of  money, 
which  appeared  to  him  to  be  no  more  sin  than  to  the 
masses  of  Christians  now,  was  his  life.  Obedience  to 
every  other  commandment  was  doubtless  brought  into 
service  to  gratify  his  desire  for  money,  as  is  frequently 
seen  in  this  day.  No  man  is  the  absolute  owner  of  the 
money  that  he  holds,  but  all  men  are  only  trustees,  whether 
they  recognize  it  or  not,  and  the  failure  to  recognize  it  is 
etnhczzlement,  for  which  they  will  be  called  to  account 
before  the  great  Judge.  Those  in  need  should  be  helped 
by  those  who  have  abundance,  which  brings  a  greater 
blessing  to  the  giver  than  to  the  receiver. 

This  young  man  had  an  opportunity,  as  did  Matthew 
and  the  other  apostles,  when  Jesus  called  them  to  leave 
their  business  and  follow  Him.  The  apostles  heeded  the 
call ;  the  young  man  failed.  Jesus  does  not  call  all  who 
become  Christians  to  leave  their  business,  as  the  apostles 
did,  neither  does  He  call  all  Christians  who  have  riches 
to  dispose  of  them,  as  He  did  to  this  young  man ;  but  all 
Christians  are  to  put  both  their  services  and  their  riches 
at  the  disposal  of  Christ,  subject  to  His  order,  for  which 
they  shall  give  an  account  of  their  stewardship  when  He 
comes.^-  It  is  simply  impossible  for  one  who  makes  the 
desire  for  money  his  first  thought  in  life  to  be  saved.  'Tt 
is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  a  needle's  eye  than  for 
a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,"  and 

'^i  Tim.  6:  10.     "Mt.  25:14-30. 


Mark  io  to  13.  139 

this  has  no  reference  to  the  small  gate  of  a  walled  city,  as 
is  sometimes  insisted.  It  refers  to  a  sewing  needle.  No 
man  has  a  right  either  to  hoard  his  money,  or  to  extrav- 
agantly spend  it  for  his  personal  use  and  that  of  his 
family.  His  wealth  should  be  used  for  the  good  of 
others.  This  account  in  Mark  holds  the  key  to  the  whole 
subject  when  it  is  said,  ''How  hard  is  it  for  them  that  trust 
in  riches  to  enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  God."'^^ 

Jerusalem  (10:32). — This  name  first  occurs  in  the 
book  of  Joshua,^*  and  the  inhabitants  were  called  Jebus- 
ites,  and  a  Jewish  tradition  identifies  Salem  of  Melchize- 
dek^^  with  this  site.  Its  early  spelling  was  ''Urii-SaUm," 
meaning  ''city  of  Salim"  or  "city  of  peace."  Its  natural 
position  made  a  strong  fortress.  It  was  frequently  at- 
tacked by  the  Israelites,  but  it  was  not  taken  until  the  time 
of  David,  who  made  it  the  capital  of  all  Israel  (about  1000 
B.  C),  and  it  was  called  ''the  city  of  David. "^^  The  ark 
was  brought  there  and  the  Temple  was  built  there.  It  fell 
before  the  army  of  Nebuchadrezzar,  but  on  the  return  of 
the  Jews  from  the  Babylonian  captivity  the  Temple  was 
rebuilt,  and  under  Herod  the  Great  it  was  enlarged.  Into 
this  Temple  Jesus  was  brought  when  an  infant  and  gra- 
ciously received  by  Simeon  and  Anna.  At  twelve  years 
of  age  He  visited  there  again,  when  He  amazed  all  at  His 
understanding  and  His  answers.  When  He  was  about 
thirty  years  old  He  visited  there  on  the  occasion  of  the 
first  Passover  after  His  baptism,  then  at  the  next  Pass- 
over. Missing  the  third  Passover,  He  went  there  to  the 
Feast  of  Tabernacles  in  the  autumn,  and  then  at  the  next 
Passover,  which  was  the  fourth  since  His  baptism,  and 
on  this  occasion  He  denounced  their  sins,  wept  over  the 
city  and  submitted  Himself  to  their  malice,  when  He  was 


'Mk.  10:24.     "Josh.  10:1.     ^'Gen.  14:18.     ''i  Ch.  11 : 4-9- 


140  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

tried  in  one  of  the  Temple  chambers,  and  on  the  same  da>' 
He  was  condemned  and  crucified. 

Its  after  history  is  one  of  the  saddest  in  the  world's 
annals,  and  it  has  borne  various  names.  In  135  Hadrian 
changed  the  name  to  Mlia  Capitolina;  from  the  tenth  to 
the  thirteenth  centuries  it  was  called  'The  Holy  House ;" 
now  its  common  name  is  el-Kiids,  meaning  "the  holy 
(city)  ;"  among  Christians,  Jews  and  Arabs  it  is  called 
Yerusalini;  but  Jerusalem's  glory  is  yet  to  come,  when 
Christ  shall  stand  upon  the  Mount  of  Olives  and  that 
mountain  shall  miraculously  divide,  forming  a  valley  for 
a  river  that  shall  go  into  and  from  the  Dead  Sea  for  the 
healing  of  its  waters,^^  and  Jerusalem  shall  be  called  Je- 
hovah-shammah,  meaning  "Jehovah  is  there." 

[For  the  discussion  concerning  the  request  of 
James  and  John,  see  Mt.  20:  20-28.] 

Jericho  (10:46). — This  word  probably  meant  "the 
place  of  fragrance,"  but  Sayce  regarded  it  as  meaning 
"city  of  the  moon-god."  In  its  most  ancient  days  it  was 
called  "the  city  of  the  palm  trees. "^^  It  is  situated  in  the 
Jordan  valley,  and  was  the  nearest  city  under  the  gaze  of 
Moses  when  he  looked  from  the  top  of  Mount  Nebo  toward 
the  Promised  Land.  It  was  the  first  city  to  oppose  the 
advance  of  the  Israelites  when  they  had  crossed  the  Jor- 
dan, and  at  the  sound  of  their  trumpets  the  walls  fell  flat 
to  the  ground.  Joshua  prophesied  misfortune  to  who- 
soever should  rebuild  it,^^  and  it  was  fulfilled  in  the  days 
of  Ahab  when  Hiel  undertook  the  task.-^  When  Jerusa- 
lemi  fell  King  Zedekiah  was  arrested  by  the  Babylonians 
near  Jericho. 

In  the  time  of  Christ  it  was  an  important  city,  and 

!";Zech.  14 :  4,  5  ;  Ezek.  47 :  8-10 ;  48 :  35.      ^«Josh.  6 :  26. 
^u-  34:3.  ^"i  Kgs.  16:34. 


Mark  io  to  13.  141 

Herod  the  Great  had  his  winter  palace  there.  Palm  trees 
abounded  and  the  gardens  were  fertile.  The  climate  was 
so  mild  in  the  winter  that  Josephns  speaks  of  persons 
going  about  with  linen  clothing  when  snow  covered  the 
rest  of  Judaea,  and  he  challenged  a  comparison  with  any 
other  climate  in  the  whole  earth.  A  balsam  was  produced 
from  some  of  its  trees  that  was  used  as  a  medicine  for  the 
head  and  eyes.  Herod  died  there  and  his  royal  palace  was 
burned  by  Simon,  an  ex-slave,  who  aspired  to  be  king. 
Near  Jericho  is  the  traditional  site  of  the  baptism  of 
Jesus  in  the  Jordan  and  His  temptation  on  the  hills  of 
Quarantania,  and  on  His  last  visit  to  Jerusalem  He  passed 
through  Jericho  and  healed  two  blind  men,  one  of  them 
being  Bartimseaus,  and  gave  salvation  to  Zacchaeus,  the 
publican.-^  From  the  days  of  the  good  Samaritan  until 
now  the  road  from  Jericho  to  Jerusalem,  an  ascent  ot 
3000  feet,  has  been  a  place  of  thieves.  It  is  now  a  village 
of  little  more  than  300  inhabitants. 

[For  the  healing  of  Bartimaeus,  see  Mt.  20: 
29-34.] 
Bethany  AND  Bethpage  (ii  :  i). — On  the  eastern  slope 
of  the  Mount  of  Olives  and  about  two  miles  from  Jerusa- 
lem on  the  road  to  Jericho  was  the  little  village  of  Bethany, 
meaning  "house  of  dates,"  and  it  was  famous  as  being  the 
hospitable  home  of  Mary  and  Martha  and  Lazarus,  and 
there  Jesus  spent  His  few  last  nights  before  His  agony 
in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane.  Bethpage,  meaning  ''house 
of  figs,"  was  a  small  village  near  it,  but  its  site  is  now 
unknown. 

The  Triumphal  Entry  (ii  :  i-io;  Mt.  21 :  i-ii ;  Lu. 
19:  29-44;  Jno.  12:  12-19). — Since  Jesus  sought  seclusion 
during   His   ministry,    and    so   frequently    forbade   those 

*'Ln.  19:  I. 


142  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

upon  whom  He  wrought  His  miracles  to  make  it  known, 
this  triumphal  entry  into  Jerusalem  becomes  remark- 
ably significant.  It  was  mentioned  by  two  of  the  Old 
Testament  prophets^-  and  itself  remains  a  prophecy  in 
contrast.  The  prophets  looked  forward  to  Him  and  He 
looked  back  to  them  that  all  things  which  they  wrote  of 
the  Messiah  He  might  fulfil.  He  rode  upon  a  borrowed 
colt,  which,  however,  being  unused,  was  regarded  as  fit 
for  sacred  use  rather  than  the  dam.  The  place  was  Jeru- 
salem rather  than  any  other  city,  because  there  was  the 
throne  of  David. 

His  approach,  although  in  humiliation,  like  that  of  His 
birth,  and  with  an  offhand  preparation,  was  nevertheless 
the  approach  of  a  king,  and  although  they  had  been  told 
by  the  prophets  of  His  coming,  Jerusalem  was  absolutely 
unprepared  for  His  reception,  and  no  officials  came  out  to 
meet  Him,  but  His  acquaintances  seemed  to  have  been 
among  the  rabble  that  surrounded  Him.  He  wept  over 
the  city  and  foretold  its  destruction,-^  which  is  the  second 
record  made  of  the  tears  of  Jesus.  This  was  his  coming 
in  humiliation,  and  furnishes  a  painful  contrast  to  the 
magnificence  attending  His  second  advent,  when  He  shall 
look  out  from  the  top  of  the  same  Mount  of  Olives'-*  upon 
the  Jerusalem  which,  for  rejecting  Him  as  her  king,  has 
been  scarred,  chastened,  forsaken  and  finally  is  being  pre- 
pared for  His  rightful  reception. 

[For  withering  the  fig  tree,  see  Mt.  21 :  18-22.] 

The  Second  Casting  Out  of  the  Money-Changers 
(11:15-18;  Mt.  21:12,  13;  Lu.  19:45-48).— The  first 
casting  out  is  recorded  in  Jno.  2 :  13-17,  which  was  in  the 
early  part  of  His  ministry.  The  Temple  was  primarily  for 
the  Jews,  but  the  outer  court  was  for  the  Gentiles,  making 

''Isa.  62 :  II ;  Zech.  9 :  9.     -^'Lti.  19 :  41-44.     '*Zech.  14 :  4. 


Mark  io  to  13.  143 

it  a  building  for  all  nations.  The  Court  of  the  Gentiles  had 
been  turned  into  a  bazaar,  a  kind  of  market-place  for  the 
changing  of  money  for  the  worshippers  and  for  the  sale 
of  all  kinds  of  animals  for  sacrifices,  apparently  for  con- 
venience of  the  worshippers,  but  the  traffic  had  become  so 
thoroughly  corrupt  that  Jesus  did  not  hesitate  to  name  it 
*'a  den  of  thieves"  and  forbade  the  carrying  of  the  vessels 
for  their  traffic  through  the  Temple.  The  very  fact  that 
there  was  no  uprising  against  His  severe  actions  on  that 
occasion  shows  that  the  practice  was  in  general  disfavor, 
but  the  wishes  of  the  people  were  overruled  by  a  corrupt 
priesthood,  who  doubtless  profited  largely  by  the  income 
from  the  lucrative  business. 

Since  the  sons  of  Annas  conducted  on  the  Mount  of 
Olives  a  notorious  business  of  like  character,  which  was 
broken  up  by  the  people,  it  is  likely  that  they  conducted 
the  same  business  in  the  Temple,  for  Caiaphas,  son-in- 
law  of  Annas,  was  the  high  priest,  and  in  the  Talmud  it 
is  said,  ''Woe  to  the  house  of  Annas !  Woe  to  the  ser- 
pent's hiss !  They  are  high  priests :  their  sons  are  keep- 
ers of  the  treasury :  their  sons-in-law  are  guardians  of  the 
Temple :  and  their  servants  beat  the  people  with  staves.'' 
Doubtless  from  this  incident  Annas  became  the  ringleader 
in  the  determined  opposition  to  Jesus,  and  it  is  likely  that 
many  of  those  v/hose  business  had  been  hurt  by  the  severe 
rebuke  of  Jesus  were  ready  to  join  in  the  plot  for  His 
death. 

[For  the  parable  of  the  wicked  husbandmen, 
see  Mt.  21 :  33-46.] 

The  Herodians  and  the  Tribute  ( 12 :  13-17 ;  Mt.  22 : 
15-22;  Lu.  20:20-26). — Although  Tertullian  regarded 
them  as  a  religious  sect  who  held  Herod  to  be  the  Messiah, 
it  is  more  likely  that  they  were  a  political  party  who  fa- 


144  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

vored  the  dynasty  of  Herod,  and  although  Jndasa  was  at 
that  time  under  a  Roman  governor,  they  appear  to  have 
favored  the  restoration  of  the  family  of  Herod— not 
merely  one  son  ruling  a  part,  but  one  son  ruling  all  the 
dominion  of  Herod  the  Great.  In  later  years  they  loyally 
supported  Herod  Agrippa  I,  who  carried  out  the  ambi- 
tious scheme  and  for  a  short  while  ruled  over  his  grand- 
father's vast  dominions. 

Their  purpose  in  asking  Jesus  the  question  about  tribute 
or  poll  tax,  which  was  paid  by  every  Jew,  was  to  find 
against  Him  a  charge  of  sedition  to  weaken  His  influence 
among  the  people,  but  He  plainly  showed  them  that  it  was 
right  to  render  or  return  to  the  Roman  government  a  com- 
pensation for  its  protection,  for  such  is  the  meaning  of  the 
word.  So  long  as  they  accepted  the  Roman  coinage  they 
must  compensate  the  Roman  government.  Said  Light- 
foot,  "Wheresoever  the  money  of  any  king  is  current, 
there  the  inhabitants  acknowledge  that  king  for  their 
lord ;"  and  the  soul  of  man,  that  was  made  in  God's  image, 
should  render  to  Him  thanksgiving  and  obedience  for  all 
His  mercy  and  care.  Said  Matthew  Henry,  "While  they 
were  vainly  contending  about  their  civil  liberties  they  had 
lost  the  life  and  power  of  religion,  and  needed  to  be  put  in 
mind  of  their  duty  to  God  with  that  to  Caesar."  The 
thought  here  of  separation  of  Church  and  State  was 
first  announced  to  the  world  by  Aristotle,  although  not  so 
clearly  as  by  Christ,  but  it  somewhat  prepared  the  way  for 
its  general  acceptance  as  announced  in  the  regime  of  Chris- 
tianity— another  instance  of  a  forerunner. 

The  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  (12:13,  18). — These 
were  the  two  principal  religious  sects  among  the  Jews. 
The  former  was  the  orthodox  party,  the  conservatives,  and 
the  reformers  of  the  second  century  B.  C,  standing  out  as 


Mark  io  to  13.  145 

a  rebuke  against  heathen  practices.  They  taught  that  be- 
sides the  Law,  God  orally  gave  to  Moses  equally  binding- 
laws,  and  these  traditions  were  as  binding  as  the  written 
law.  Many  of  them  became  mere  formalists  and  were 
hypocritical  in  their  service,  although  among  them  were 
some  faithful  worshippers.  Their  motto  was,  "These 
things  will  make  thee  prosper — prayers,  alms  and  peni- 
tence." 

The  former  repudiated  all  the  traditions  and  all  the  Old 
Testament  except  the  Pentateuch.  They  did  not  believe 
the  soul  had  any  existence  after  death.  They  were  liberals, 
really  materialists,  and  belonged  mostly  to  the  cultured 
and  aristocratic  class.  Their  motto  was,  "Let  us  eat  and 
drink,  for  to-morrow  we  die."  Not  many  from  either  of 
these  sects  were  baptized  by  John.-^  They  appear  to  have 
come  out  of  curiosity  to  hear  him  and  to  have  scorned  the 
message  of  the  Baptist,  neither  did  many  come  from  these 
sects  into  the  discipleship  of  Jesus.  Being  descendants  of 
Abraham,  they  believed  that  to  be  sufficient,  so  they  had 
need  of  nothing.  In  the  Talmud  it  was  said,  "A  single 
Israelite  is  worth  more  before  God  than  all  the  people  who 
have  been  or  shall  be." 

No  Marrying  in  the  Resurrection  (12:  18-27;  Mt. 
22:23-33;  Lu.  20:27-40.) — The  question  of  the  Saddu- 
cees  referred  to  Du.  25 :  5-10,  but  the  case  which  they 
named  was  doubtless  imaginary.  A  woman  who  had  been 
married  twice  would  have  made  their  question  just  as  sen- 
sible and  more  reasonable  than  seven  times,  but  in  their 
mere  asking  was  revealed  their  ignorance  of  both  the 
Scriptures  and  the  power  of  God,  as  many  such  questions 
of  eternal  life  do  in  this  day.  Jesus  rebuked  their  ignor- 
ance, for  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  is  inwrought  in 


*Mt.  21 :  32 ;  Lu.  7 :  30,  ■^s ;  John  i :  19. 


146  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

the  entire  Scriptures,  and  He  drew  an  argument  from 
Moses  before  the  burning  bush,  which  is  recorded  in  one 
of  the  books  of  the  Pentateuch,-*'  which  they  accept,  show- 
ing that  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob  were  still  alive. 

Marriage,  while  divinely  ordained,  is  purely  an  earthly 
relationship.  Its  purpose  is  to  preserve  the  human  species, 
and  it  is  necessarily  broken  absolutely  by  the  death  of  the 
flesh.  In  the  resurrection  we  shall  know  each  other  better 
than  we  know  each  other  now  and  love  each  other  more ; 
also  from  Paul  we  infer  that  the  fleshly  relationship  ceases 
when  the  flesh  dies.  Even  Christ  is  not  now  known  after 
His  earthly  relationship.^"  In  the  resurrection  conditions 
will  be  entirely  unlike  conditions  now,  and  those  who  will 
be  ''accounted  worthy  to  attain  to  that  world  and  the  resur- 
rection from  the  dead"  will  not  be  angels,  as  some  have 
thought,  but  ''are  as  the  angels  of  God"  in  that  they  neither 
die  nor  marry.  There  will  be  new  purposes  and  new  rela- 
tionships more  sacred  and  blessed  than  the  human  mind 
has  ever  dreamed.  To  us  the  departed  believers  seem 
dead,  but  they  are  living  before  God,  as  is  Abraham,  Isaac 
and  Jacob,  for  the  Father  is  the  God  of  the  living. 

[For  the  explanation  of  David's  calling  Christ 
Lord,  see  Mt.  22 :  41-46.] 

The  Poor  Widow  (12:41-44;  Lu.  21:  1-4). — Accord- 
ing to  the  Talmud  there  were  thirteen  chests  in  the  Temple 
in  which  the  people  deposited  their  offerings  when  they 
went  up  to  the  annual  Festivals.-^  Over  each  chest  was 
an  inscription  stating  the  purpose  of  the  offering.  Two 
mites,  or  a  farthing,  was  about  half  a  cent  in  our  money, 
but  it  was  her  all,  and  persons  now  who  make  small  offer- 
ings and  call  it  their  mite  do  great  violence  to  the  Scrip- 
tures.   It  is  not  their  mite  unless  it  is  their  all.    Some  con- 

^«Ex.  3  :  1-7.     "2  Cor.  5  :  16.     ^^Du.  16 :  16,  17. 


Mark  io  to  13.  147 

demn  this  poor  widow,  few  imitate  her,  and  Christ  com- 
mended her.  Christ  is  still  moving  among  the  churches,^^ 
and  He  observes  the  offerings  of  the  worshippers.  He 
reckons  not  according  to  the  gift,  but  the  giver — the  mo- 
tive and  the  sacrifice  back  of  the  gift. 

[For  the  explanation  of  the  sermon  concerning 
the  signs  of  his  coming,  see  Mt.  24.] 


Blessed  Father,  Thou  art.  above  all  in  gifts,  and  out  of 
Thy  giving  Thou  hast  taught  me  the  way  to  a  fuller  identi- 
fication of  myself  with  Thee.  Not  only  Thy  gift  of  Jesus 
and  Thy  gift  of  the  Spirit,  but  every  day  Thy  gifts  are 
about  me  like  manna  in  the  wilderness.  All  I  have  belongs 
to  Thee,  and  of  my  money  I  am  only  a  trustee.  Command 
its  use  as  shall  please  Thee  and  give  me  the  experience  of 
the  giver's  joy.  Let  me  see  clearly  the  sin  of  covetousness 
and  deepen  my  hatred  of  its  practice.  In  the  name  of  Thy 
unspeakable  Gift  be  praise  and  dominion  for  ever.    Amen. 


Questions. 

I.     Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 

opening  of  this  chapter.     2.  What  is  the  title  and  limit  of  the 

second  division?     3.  Name  the  chapters.     4.  Explain  the  parable 

of  the  householder.     5.  What  of  divorce?     6.  What  of  riches? 

7.  Has   the   love   of   money   a    strong  hold   in   your    affections? 

8.  What  did  Jesus  again  tell  the  twelve  regarding  His  death  and 
resurrection  (10:32-34)?  9.  What  of  Jerusalem?  10.  What  of 
Jericho?  11.  What  of  Bethany  and  Bethpage?  12.  What  of  the 
triumphal  entry?  13.  What  of  the  second  casting  out  of  money- 
changers? 14.  What  two  requirements  in  prayer  (11:24,  25)? 
15.  How  did  Jesus  answer  their  question  concerning  His  author- 
ity (11:27-33)?  16.  What  of  the  Herodians  and  tribute?  17. 
What  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  ?  18.  What  of  the  Saddu- 
cees'  question  concerning  marriage  in  the  resurrection?  19.  What 
two  great  commandments  did  Jesus  name  (12:  28-34)  ?  20.  What 
of  the  offering  by  the  poor  widow?  21.  What  is  your  prayer  in 
the  teachings  of  this  message  ? 

"Rev.  1:13. 


MARK. 

III.     The    Trial,    Crucifixion,    Resurrection    and 
Ascension. — 14-16. 


"Pilate,  wishing  to  content  the  multitude,  released  unto  them 
Barabbas,  and  delivered  Jesus,  when  he  had  scourged  Him,  to  be 
crucified."~Mar^  (15:  I5)- 


''Daughters  of  Jerusalem,  weep  not  for  me,  but  weep  for  your- 
selves, and  for  your  children." — Jesus  to  the  Women  on  His  Way 
to  the  Crucifixion  (Lu.  23 :  28). 


"Father,  forgive  them;   for  they  know  not  what  they  do." — 
Prayer  of  Jesus  on  the  Cross  (Lu.  23  :  34). 


"To-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  Paradise." — Jesus  to  the  Pe'/ii- 
tent  Robber  (Lu.  23  :  43). 


"When  Jesus  therefore  saw  His  mother,  and  the  disciple  stand- 
ing by  whom  He  loved.  He  saith  unto  His  mother,  Woman,  behold, 
thy  son !  Then  saith  He  to  the  disciple,  Behold,  thy  mother ! — 
John  (Jno.  19:  26,  27). 


"My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  Thou  forsaken  me?" — Prayer  of 
Jesus  on  the  Cross  at  the  Ninth  Hour  (Mk.  15 :  34). 


"I  thirst." — Jesus  on  the  Cross  (Jno.  19:  28), 


"It  is  finished." — Jesus  on  the  Cross  (Jno.  19:  30). 


"Father,  into  Thy  hands   I   commend   my   Spirit." — The  Last 
Words  of  Jesus  on  the  Cross  (Lu.  23:  46). 


MARK. 

III.     The    Trial,    Crucifixion,    Resurrection    and 
Ascension. — 14-16. 

With  the  approach  of  the  Passover  came  the  approach 
of  the  crucifixion,  which  is  treated  in  this  chapter.  The 
trial  is  treated  in  Matthew,  the  resurrection  in  Luke  and 
the  ascension  in  Acts. 

The  Chief  Priests  and  Scribes  (14:  i). — The  chief 
priests  were  the  head  priests  of  the  twenty-four  courses,^ 
and  the  scribes  were  the  successors  of  Ezra,  being  the 
theologians  and  learned  doctors  in  the  Law.  Both  to- 
gether, with  the  elders  and  the  high  priest  as  president, 
part  from  the  priesthood  and  part  from  the  laity,  formed 
the  Sanhedrin,  composed  of  seventy-one  persons.  Herod 
the  Great  had  murdered  a  number  of  the  members  of  this 


Markings. — Undermark,  14:  i,  36,  50,  53;  15:  i,  15,  24,  34,  37; 
16:2,  6,  19;  also  undermark  the  words  "alabaster  cruse"  in  14:3; 
"Judas"  in  14:  10;  ''passover"  in  14:  14;  "body"  in  14:22;  "blood" 
in  14:24;  "offended"  in  14:27;  "Gethsemane"  in  14:32;  "swords" 
and  "staves"  in  14:  43;  "certain  young  man"  in  14:  51;  "Barabbas" 
in  15  :  7;  "mocked  him"  in  15 :  20;  "Golgotha"  in  15:  22;  "two  rob- 
bers" in  15:27;  "mocking  him"  in  15:31;  "Mary  Magdalene," 
"Mary"  and  "Salome"  in  15:40;  "Joseph"  in  15:43;  "first"  in  16: 
g;  "two"  in  16:  12;  "eleven"  in  16:  14. 

Mark,  14 :  8,  20,  24,  31,  65,  72 ;  15  :  38,  39,  41 ;  16 :  20. 

Personal  mark,  16:15,  16. 

Mark  with  the  cross,  14:22,  23;  and  with  a  large  cross,  15: 
24,  25. 

Mark  with  the  cross  crowned,  14 :  62. 

Mark  with  P,  meaning  prayer,  14 :  22,  32,  35,  39 ;  15 :  34. 

Names  of  the  chapters  in  the  third  division :  14 — Arrest  and 
Trial  before  the  Sanhedrin;  15 — Trial  before  Pilate  and  the  Cru- 
cifixion; 16 — Resurrection,  Commission  and  Ascension. 

^i  Ch,  24 :  1-9. 

151 


152  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

highest  Jewish  court,  and  on  the  visit  of  the  Wise-men 
they  were  summoned  before  him  to  name  the  birthplace 
of  the  Messiah,  and  now  this  same  court  condemned  to 
death  that  Messiah,  who  was  born  in  Bethlehem. 

In  later  years  they  explained  away  the  prophecy  of 
Micah,-  mentioned  in  Matthew  2 : 6,  as  referring  to  Ves- 
pasian, who  was  appointed  emperor  of  Rome  while  he  was 
in  Judaea,  and  a  few  years  after  Jerusalem  was  destroyed 
under  his  rule — anything  else  but  a  shepherd.  This  far- 
fetched interpretation  was  made  by  Josephus,  Suetonius 
and  Tacitus.  Concerning  the  resurrection  of  Jesus,  it  was 
this  same  court  that  paid  the  soldiers  to  say,  ''His  disciples 
came  by  night  and  stole  Him  away  while  we  slept." 

[For  the  anointing  of  Jesus  in  the  house  of 
Simon  by  Mary,  see  Jno.  12:  1-8;  for  the  Pass- 
over Supper,  see  Jno.  13:1-17:26;  for  the 
Lord's  Supper,  see  Mt.  26 :  26-20 ;  for  the  arrest 
and  trial,  see  Mt.  26:  36-27:  31.] 

Crucifixion. — This  form  of  capital  punishment  ap- 
pears to  have  originated  with  the  Phoenicians  three  or  four 
hundred  years  before  the  birth  of  Christ,  and  it  was  also 
practiced  by  the  Carthaginians,  from  whom  the  Romans 
borrowed  it  and  used  it  in  the  punishing  of  slaves,  and 
afterwards  upon  other  offenders,  but  rarely  was  it  ever 
inflicted  upon  a  Roman  citizen.  Later  it  was  adopted  by 
the  Greeks ;  Alexander  crucified  2000  Tyrians ;  and  gradu- 
ally it  passed  to  nearly  all  nations  except  the  Jews,  who 
during  their  independence  never  practiced  crucifying  liv- 
ing persons,  but  frequently  they  hung  up  bodies  of  the 
dead.=^  The  Law  authorized  the  hanging  up  of  a  dead 
body  on  a  tree,  but  required  that  it  should  be  buried  on  the 
same  dav.* 


'Micah  5  :  2.  ''Du.  21 :  22,  23. 

^Josh.  10:26;  I  Sam.  31:  10;  2  Sam.  4:  12. 


Mark  14  to  i 6.  153 

According  to  Josephus,  Varus  crucified  2000  rioters  in 
Judaea  after  the  death  of  Herod  the  Great.  Under  Tibe- 
rius Caesar  this  method  of  capital  punishment  received 
special  favor,  because  it  lengthened  the  agonies  of  death, 
rather  than  other  methods  which  made  a  swifter  death 
too  easy  an  escape  from  one's  crimes  in  the  Roman 
eyes.  It  has  been  said  that  Titus  crucified  so  many  Jews 
on  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  that  there  was  neither 
wood  for  the  crosses  nor  places  to  set  them  up. 

It  was  accompanied  by  scourging,  when  sometimes  the 
victim  died  under  the  lash.  A  centurion  and  four  soldiers 
were  usually  detailed  to  conduct  the  execution  for  a  single 
crucifixion.  Only  the  crosspiece  was  put  on  the  shoulders 
of  the  offender  to  be  carried  to  the  place  of  his  death,  and 
the  charge  against  him  was  written  on  a  board,  which  was 
borne  immediately  in  front  of  him  or  hung  on  his  breast 
by  a  cord  around  his  neck,  that  all  might  read  it  and  take 
warning.  On  reaching  the  place  he  was  stripped  and  his 
garments  were  given  to  the  executioners  as  booty. 

Four  crosses  were  used,  sometimes  a  single  stake,  but 
beginning  about  this  period  and  used  more  frequently 
later  was  the  Latin  cross,^  although  sometimes  Saint 
Anthony's  cross^  and  Saint  Andrew's  cross'  were  used. 
In  the  time  of  Jesus  the  Latin  cross  was  coming  into  use. 
It  may  have  been  used  in  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus,  or  Saint 
Anthony's  cross,  which  was  also  in  use  then,  may  have 
been  used.  Artists  usually  have  given  us  pictures  of  the 
former.    It  did  not  matter,  only  they  wanted  him  crucified. 

Crosses  were  made  of  some  ordinary  wood,  olive  or  oak, 
and  the  top  reached  from  eight  to  nine  feet  from  the 
ground,  just  high  enough  so  that  the  feet  of  the  victim 
could  not  touch  the  ground.    Each  cross  had  on  it  a  piece 

t      T      X 


154  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

of  wood  projecting  at  right  angles  from  about  the  middle 
of  the  upright  piece,  serving  as  a  kind  of  saddle  to  hold 
the  body. 

Sometimes  the  upright  piece  was  firmly  put  in  the 
ground  first,  having  cut  a  place  for  the  crosspiece  to  go  in, 
and  in  that  event  the  person  was  nailed  through  the  palms 
or  wrists  to  the  crosspiece  or  tied  with  cords  and  then 
lifted  into  place;  other  times  the  victim  was  fastened  to 
the  whole  cross  lying  flat  on  the  ground,  and  then  the  cross 
was  lifted  into  place  with  the  victim  on  it.  Usually  a  cord 
was  tied  around  the  feet,  but  sometimes  a  nail  was  driven 
through  the  instep,  and  frequently  one  long  nail  going 
through  both  feet.  Sometimes  a  fire  was  built  under  the 
feet  of  the  victims  or  wild  beasts  were  turned  loose  on 
them. 

In  other  parts  of  the  Roman  empire  the  bodies  were 
left  on  the  cross  until  death,  which  sometimes  consumed 
several  days,  and  even  then  they  were  frequently  left  to 
be  eaten  by  carrion  birds  until  nothing  but  the  skeleton 
hung  there;  but  inasmuch  as  this  was  forbidden  by  the 
Jewish  Law,  it  had  become  a  custom  in  Judaea  out  of  re- 
spect for  the  Jews  to  complete  death  in  some  other  way  in 
order  to  remove  the  bodies  before  sunset  of  the  same  day, 
when  they  were  sometimes  bought  by  friends  or  occa- 
sionally cast  to  the  dogs.  By  the  famous  edict  of  Milan 
in  313,  Constantine  prohibited  crucifixion  as  a  means  of 
capital  punishment  throughout  the  Roman  empire. 

The  Crucifixion  of  Jesus  (15  :  20-41 ;  Mt.  27:  31-56; 
Lu.  23:25-49;  Jno.  19:  16-30).— With  severe  simplicity 
the  four  Evangelists  tell  of  the  tragedy  on  the  Cross.  In 
their  accounts  there  are  no  expressions  of  indignation  nor 
doctrinal  conclusions,  but  each  one  makes  the  record  as  an 
ofiicial  report  of  the  death  of  Jesus,  and  in  this  is  a  signifi- 


Mark  14  to  16.  155 

cant  lesson  to  us.  After  mocking-  Him  and  taking  off  the 
purple  robe  He  was  put  in  charge  of  a  centurion  and  four 
soldiers.  They  had  no  trouble  in  finding  a  crosspiece  for 
the  cross  from  around  the  tower  of  Antonia  or  the  Pras- 
torium  palace,  which  they  laid  upon  his  shoulder,  and 
Pilate  wrote  the  inscription  in  Hebrew,  Latin  and  Greek, 
"Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  King  of  the  Jews,"  as  a  sting  to 
the  Jewish  verdict,  and,  according  to  Lightfoot,  it  was 
against  the  Jewish  custom  to  have  more  than  one  cruci- 
fixion on  the  same  day,  and  Pilate  again  resents  their  folly 
by  violating  their  custom  in  ordering  the  two  robbers  to 
be  crucified  at  the  same  time. 

They  passed  out  of  the  city,  hurrying  Jesus  to  His  mur- 
der rather  than  to  His  execution.  Tradition  tells  us  that 
Jesus  fell  beneath  the  crosspiece,  and  it  would  be  no  sur- 
prise after  the  night  of  agony,  the  trials  and  the  scourging. 
They  mict  Simon  of  Cyrene,  perhaps  a  believer  in  Jesus, 
and  He  may  have  expressed  Himself  so,  and  they  com- 
pelled him  to  take  the  cross,  and  so  prevented  his  attend- 
ing the  morning  prayer  in  the  Temple,  to  which  he  was 
doubtless  hastening. 

With  the  rabble,  sporting  as  they  passed  along  through 
the  streets,  were  the  chief  priests  and  scribes  and  elders 
and  "a,  great  multitude  of  people  and  of  women  who  be- 
wailed and  lamented  Him,"  although  it  was  against  Jew- 
ish custom  for  any  to  make  public  lamentation  for  one 
who  was  sentenced  to  death,  and  Jesus  said  unto  them, 
"Daughters  of  Jerusalem,  weep  not  for  me,  but  weep  for 
yourselves  and  for  your  children."^  And  the  two  robbers 
were  also  in  the  procession  bearing  the  crosspieces  of 
their  crosses. 

When  they  came  to  a  place  "without  the  gate"^  called  in 


*Lu.  23  :  28-32.     °Heb.  13  :  12. 


156  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Hebrew  Golgotha,  in  Latin  Calvary,  which  word  very 
properly  does  not  occur  in  the  American  Revision,  and  in 
English  The  Skull  or  the  place  of  a  skull,  there  they  cruci- 
fied Him.  Tradition  says  that  it  was  the  place  where 
Adam  died  and  was  buried.  Jerome  affirmed  that  it  was 
the  jreneral  place  of  execution.  Its  name  may  have  come 
from  it  being  a  hill,  which  was  skull-shaped  or  there  may 
have  been  skulls  of  victims  scattered  around  there.  His 
garments  were  distributed  to  the  four  soldiers  who  exe- 
cuted Him,  perhaps  His  girdle  going  to  one.  His  turban 
to  another.  His  sandals  to  another  and  His  cloak  going  to 
the  fourth  and  His  tunic  being  a  seamless  robe,  which 
tradition  says  was  woven  for  Him  by  His  mother,  could 
not  be  divided  and  so,  according  to  the  Roman  custom 
of  gambling,  the  soldiers  threw  dice  for  the  possession 
of  the  robe.  An  association  of  wealthy  and  charitable 
women  of  Jerusalem  had  provided  a  fund  for  the  pur- 
chase of  a  stupefying  drink  of  wine  mingled  with  gall 
which  was  usually  given  to  the  criminals  to  deaden  their 
pain,  but  Jesus  refused  it. 

Doubtless  it  was  while  fastening  Him  to  the  Cross,  He 
said,  "Father  forgive  them ;  for  they  know  not  what  they 
do."^*^  It  was  then  about  nine  o'clock.  The  rulers  scoffed 
at  Him,  the  soldiers  mocked  Him  and  offered  Him  a  drink 
of  their  sour  wine,  which  is  called  vinegar,  and  the  robbers 
joined  in  the  railing  on  Him,  but  one  robber  rebuked  the 
other  and  then,  calling  to  Jesus,  he  said,  "Remember  me, 
when  Thou  comest  in  Thy  Kingdom,"  and  Jesus  said, 
"Verily,  I  say  unto  thee.  To-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me 
in  Paradise.^^  Tradition  has  named  these  robbers  Titus 
and  Dumachus,  and  it  is  said  that  they  met  Joseph  and 
Mary  with  Jesus  on  their  return  from  Egypt  and  Titus 

'Tu.  23  :  34.     "Lli.  23  :  43. 


Mark  14  to  i 6.  157 

persuaded  the  other  not  to  rob  the  Holy  Family  and, 
taking  up  the  infant  Jesus,  he  said,  "O  blessed  Child!  if 
ever  a  day  shall  come  to  have  mercy  on  me,  then  remem- 
ber me  and  do  not  forget  this  day."  The  robber's  request 
to  Jesus  on  the  Cross  revealed  that  he  was  a  Jew  and  was 
looking  for  the  Kingdom. 

Paradise  is  a  Persian  word,  meaning  "beautiful  land," 
and  in  the  Septuagint  it  is  used  in  speaking  of  the  garden 
of  Eden.  It  was  regarded  as,  the  place  of  the  souls  of  the 
pious  awaiting  the  final  judgment.  The  robber  had  ac- 
knowledged his  sins  and  had  called  upon  Jesus  for  mercy, 
when  even  His  disciples  had  forsaken  Him.  There  is  no 
evidence  that  he  had  any  previous  knowledge  of  the  min- 
istry of  Jesus.  It  furnishes  no  hope  for  death-bed  repent- 
ance, for  the  robber  died  before  Christianity  had  been 
established,  and  so  he  died  under  the  same  covenant  as 
Abraham  and  Moses.  Said  Augustine,  *'He  who  pardons 
the  sinner  that  repents  will  grant  no  repentance  to  the 
sinner  that  presumes." 

Many  women  were  there ;  among  them  was  His  mother. 
His  mother's  sister,  Mary  the  wife  of  Cleopas,  Salome  the 
wife  of  Zebedee  and  Mary  Magdalene,  and  John  appears 
to  have  been  the  only  apostle.  To  His  mother  Jesus  said, 
''Woman,  behold  thy  son !"  and  to  John  He  said,  "Behold, 
thy  mother!"  and  "from  that  hour  John  took  her  to  his 
own  house."^^  There  was  darkness  over  all  the  land  from 
twelve  o'clock  until  three — possibly  a  natural  phenomenon, 
such  as  precedes  an  earthquake,  but  doubtless  a  sign  from 
Heaven,  just  such  as  the  Pharisees  had  been  asking  for, 
and  Jesus  cried,  "My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  for- 
saken me  ?"^^  These  are  the  opening  words  of  the  twenty- 
second  Psalm,  and  this  whole  Psalm  is  a  graphic  descrip- 


7ohn  19 :  26,  27.     ''Mk.  15  :  34. 


158  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

tion  of  the  crucifixion.  Jesus  took  upon  Himself  our 
sins^*  and  with  them  the  penalty,  which  was  separation 
from  God.^^  Now  in  this  supreme  moment  He  was  ex- 
periencing the  sinner's  death.  The  sinner  cannot  see  be- 
yond, and  his  physical  death  may  be  peaceful,  but  Jesus 
saw  into  the  sinner's  doom  and  He  shuddered. 

"As  the  load 
Immense,  intolerable,  of  the  world's  sin, 
Casting  its  dreadful  shadow  high  as  Heaven, 
Deep  as  Gehenna,  nearer  and  more  near 
Grounded  at  last  upon  that  Sinless  Soul 
With  all  its  crushing  weight  and  kilHng  curse, 
Then  first,  from  all  eternity  then  first, 
From  His  beloved  Son  the  Father's  face 
Was  slowly  averted,  and  its  light  eclipsed; 
And  through  the  midnight  broke  the  Sufferer's  groan 
Eli,  Eli,  lama  sabachthani  ? 
The  echo  was  the  mockeries  of  hell, 
Reverberate  in  human  lips.    We  heard, 
And  shuddered.    Gabriel  lean'd  on  me  a  space, 
And  hid  his  face  within  my  vesture's  folds, 
As  if  the  sight  were  all  too  terrible 
Even  for  archangelic  faith." 

It  was  too  much  for  the  mighty  soul  of  Jesus,  and  out 
of  His  anguish  came  the  cry  of  innocence.  Then  He  said, 
*T  thirst"^^ — His  human  lips  were  parched  for  a  drink  of 
water ;  then  again,  "It  is  finished"^" — the  great  offering  of 
the  Lamb  of  God  for  the  world's  redemption  had  been 
made;  and  lastly,  "Father,  into  thy  hands  I  commend  my 
spirit"^^  as  a  shout  of  triumph.  Jesus  was  dead.  The 
earth  quaked.  The  Roman  centurion  said,  "Certainly 
this  was  a  righteous  man.''^^  The  smoke  was  just  rising 
from  the  evening  sacrifice,  the  veil  of  the  Temple,  sep- 
arating the  Holy  Place  from  the  Holy  of  Holies,  was 

"Isa.  53  :  5,  6.  ^7ohn  19 :  28.  "Lu.  23  :  46. 

''2  Thess.  1 :  8,  9.         "John  19 :  30.  "Lu.  23  :  47. 


Mark  14  to  i  6.  159 

rent  from  top  to  bottom,  symbolizing  that  all  mankind 
henceforth,  by  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  had  access  to 
the  Holy  of  Holies  of  God's  Presence.  The  mightiest 
tragedy  of  the  world  was  in  action. 

The  Burial  of  Jesus  (15:42-47;  Mt.  27:57-66;  Lu. 
23:50-56;  Jno.  19:31-42). — In  keeping  with  the  Jewish 
Law,  which  forbade  bodies  remaining  on  the  crosses  over- 
night,-*' Pilate  ordered  that  their  legs  be  broken,  which 
would  cause  death  in  a  very  short  while,  and  the  bodies 
to  be  taken  down.  The  soldier  detailed  for  this  task, 
whom  tradition  has  named  Longinus,  instead  of  breaking 
the  legs  of  Jesus  as  he  did  of  the  two  robbers,  thrust  a 
spear  in  His  side  and  there  came  out  blood  and  water,  from 
which  Dr.  William  Stroud  argued  that  Jesus  died  of  a 
broken  heart.  The  agony  of  mind  with  which  He  strug- 
gled in  the  garden  caused  the  bloody  sweat,  which  had 
necessarily  weakened  the  membrane  of  the  heart.  The 
physical  sufferings  on  the  Cross  appear  not  to  have  weak- 
ened Him  to  any  marked  extent,  for  in  His  last  sentence 
He  spoke  in  a  strong  voice  and  instantly  died,  but  the 
mental  agony  was  intense.  Under  these  circumstances 
"the  agony  of  mind  produced  rupture  of  the  heart."  The 
blood  flowed  into  the  distended  pericardium,  an  outer  sac 
in  which  the  heart  is  enclosed,  and  then  it  separated  into 
clots  of  extravasated  blood  and  water. 

In  common  with  the  custom  of  friends'  purchasing  the 
bodies  of  those  who  were  crucified,  for  the  Jews  always 
buried  the  bodies  of  their  dead,  whatever  the  circum- 
stances of  their  death,  Joseph  of  Arimathaea,  a  member  of 
the  Sanhedrin  court,  but  doubtless  absent  at  the  time  of 
the  trial  of  Jesus,  went  to  Pilate  for  the  body,  which  the 
governor  appears   to  have   given   to   the   rich   councilor 


■^Du.  21 :  23. 


i6o  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

without  the  payment  of  any  money;  also  his  colleague 
Nicodemus,  who  appears  to  have  been  a  member  of  the 
same  Jewish  court-^  and  certainly  a  Pharisee,-^  assisted 
Joseph  in  the  burial— one  bringing  the  linen  and  the  other 
a  hundred  pounds  of  myrrh  and  aloes.  Both  were  timid 
when  others  were  bold  and  both  were  bold  when  others 
were  timid.  With  Mary  Magdalene  and  the  other  Mary, 
who  was  the  wife  of  Cleopas — only  four  mourners  at  the 
tomb — they  laid  the  body  in  the  chamber  of  Joseph's  new 
sepulchre  rather  than  in  a  niche,  expecting  to  complete  the 
embalmment  after  the  Sabbath,  and  they  rolled  a  stone  to 
the  door  of  the  sepulchre  and  left. 

At  the  request  of  the  chief  priests  and  Pharisees,  Pilate 
stationed  a  guard  at  the  tomb,  either  soldiers  from  the 
tower  of  Antonia,  or  the  soldiers  that  were  stationed  about 
the  Temple  at  the  time  of  the  Feast,  and  sealed  the  stone 
by  passing  a  cord  across  the  stone  at  the  door  and  fasten- 
ing it  at  either  end  with  wax  or  sealing  clay.  The  tradi- 
tional site  is  now  marked  by  the  Church  of  the  Holy 
Sepulchre. 

The  spirit  of  Jesus  was  in  Paradise,  not  purgatory,  and 
doubtless  the  first  to  enter  after  the  death  of  Jesus  was  the 
penitent  brigand.  From  one  of  the  Epistles-^  it  appears 
that  Jesus,  some  time  between  His  death  and  resurrection, 
made  proclamation  of  His  salvation  ''unto  the  spirits  in 
prison,"  who  lived  disobediently  before  the  flood,  and 
thus  He  completed  the  circuit  of  God's  universal  grace. 
The  body  of  Jesus  rested  in  the  borrowed  tomb  throughout 
that  Sabbath,  and,  as  wrote  the  apostle,  ''The  day  of  that 
Sabbath  was  a  high  day."  Rightly  speaking,  it  was  the 
last  Sabbath  of  the  world's  history. 

''John  7 :  50.     "John  3  :  i.      -'i  Pet.  3  :  18-20. 


Mark  14  to  16.  161 

"And  sweet  is  the  chamber,  silent  and  wide, 
Where  lingers  the  holy  smile 
Of  a  wayfaring  Man,  who  turned  aside 
To  rest  long  ago,  for  a  while. 

"He  had  suffered  a  sorrow  which  none  can  tell, 
He  had  purchased  a  gift  unpriced ; 
When  His  work  was  over  the  moonlight  fell 
On  the  sleeping  face  of  Christ. 

"The  face  of  a  Victor,  dead  and  crowned. 

With  a  smile  divinely  fair; 
The  saints  and  martyrs  sleeping  around 
Were  stirred  as  He  entered  there. 

"His  very  name  is  an  ointment  poured 
On  the  moonlight  pale  to-night. 
And  the  chamber  is  sweet  to  Thy  servants.  Lord, 
For  the  scent  of  Thy  raiment  white." 

[For  the  resurrection  and  the  commission,  see 
Lu.  24.] 


Out  of  the  depths  of  Thy  sufferings  Thou  hast  shown 
me  the  curse  of  my  sin,  and  even  now  my  vision  is  so  poor 
that  only  Thy  physical  sufferings  appear  to  me  clear,  for 
I  cannot  sound  the  depths  of  Thy  spiritual  agony.  Thou 
hast  seen  afar  and  knowest  the  full  penalty  of  my  sin.  Out 
of  Thy  love  for  me  Thou  didst  tread  the  winepress  of  sor- 
row alone,  and  Thy  sufferings  are  the  expressions  of  my 
sin.  Let  me  never  lose  sight  of  the  vision  of  the  Cross, 
and  out  of  Thy  pity  keep  Thy  grip  upon  my  heart  unto  the 
end  of  this  earthly  life,  and  I  shall  walk  the  pilgrim's  path 
in  safety.     Amen. 


Questions. 

I.  FamiHarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter.  2.  What  the  title  and  limit  of  this 
division?  3.  Name  the  chapters.  4.  What  of  the  chief  priests 
and  scribes?    5.  Give  the  history  and  explain  the  practice  of  cruci- 


i62  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

fixion.  6.  Give  a  full  account  of  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus.  7-  Ex- 
plain the  seven  sayings  of  Jesus  on  the  Cross.  8.  Explam  the 
physical  cause  of  the  death  of  Jesus.  9-  ^-^  ^^T"'  ?  n'^ 
burial.  10.  What  of  His  spirit?  n.  What  of  His  body?  12.  Give 
the  three  Old  Testament  prophecies  concerning  the  treatment  of 
his  dead  body  (Ex.  12:  46)  ;  Psa.  34:  20;  Zech  12:  ^^1  Isa.  53:  9  • 
13.  What  are  the  sufferings  of  Jesus  to  you?  14.  What  is  your 
prayer  in  the  presence  of  His  sufferings  ? 


LUKE. 

I.    From  the  Birth  of  John  to  the  Temptation  of 
Jesus. — i :  1-4: 13. 


"My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord, 
And  my  spirit  hath  rejoiced  in  God  my  Saviour." 

—Mary  (i :  46,  47), 


"Blessed  be  the  Lord,  the  God  of  Israel ; 
For  He  hath  visited  and  wrought  redemption  for  His  people, 
And  hath  raised  up  a  horn  of  salvation  for  us 
In  the  house  of  His  servant  David." 

—Zacharias  (i :  68,  69). 

'Glory  to  God  in  the  highest. 

And  on  earth  peace  among  men  in  whom  He  is  well  pleased." 

— The  Heavenly  Host  (2:  14), 


"Now  lettest  Thou  Thy  servant  depart,  Lord, 
According  to  Thy  word,  in  peace; 
For  mine  eyes  have  seen  Thy  salvation. 
Which  Thou  hast  prepared  before  the  face  of  all  peoples ; 
A  light  for  revelation  to  the  Gentiles, 
And  the  glory  of  Thy  people  Israel." 

— Simeon  (2:29-32). 


"The  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness, 
Make  ye  ready  the  way  of  the  Lord, 
Make  His  paths  straight. 
Every  valley  shall  be  filled. 

And  every  mountain  and  hill  shall  be  brought  low  ; 
And  the  crooked  shall  become  straight, 
And  the  rough  ways  smooth ; 
And  all  flesh  shall  see  the  salvation  of  God." 
— Luke,  Quoting  Isaiah's  Prophecy 

Regarding  John  the  Baptist  and  Jesus  (3  :  4-6). 


164 


LUKE. 

I.     From  the  Birth  of  John  to  the  Temptation  of 
Jesus. — i :  1-4: 13. 

The  Book. — Matthew  is  the  Gospel  on  the  fulfilment 
of  Old  Testament  prophecy,  Mark  is  the  Gospel  on  the 
Divine  power  in  Jesus  and  Luke  is  the  Gospel  for  all 
classes  and  all  nations,  tracing  back  the  genealogy  of  Jesus 
to  Adam,  whom  he  called  "the  son  of  God,"^  and  arguing 
that  Jesus  is  the  Saviour  of  all  mankind.  While  each  of 
these  Gospels  deals  with  all  these  thoughts,  yet  in  each 
•  Gospel  these  single  thoughts  seem  to  predominate.  These 
three  are  spoken  of  as  the  synoptic  Gospels  because  they 
look  at  Jesus  from  the  same  general  viewpoint;  their 
arrangement  is  similar  and  they  contain  many  records  and 
sayings  in  common. 

Luke  is  the  longest  of  all  the  Gospels  and  it  is  usually 


Markings.— Undermark,  i :  3,  32,  -^3;  2:  7,  10,  11,  14,  40,  52;  3: 
20 ;  4:1;  also  undermark  the  words  "Zacharias"  and  "Elizabeth" 
in  1:5;  "John"  in  i :  13;  "Gabriel"  in  i :  19;  "Nazareth"  in  i :  26; 
"Joseph"  and  "Mary"  in  1:27;  "Jesus"  in  1:31;  "into  a  city  of 
Judah"  in  1:39;  "His  name  is  John"  in  1:63;  "enrolment"  in  2: 
2;  "Joseph  also  went  up  from  Galilee"  in  2:4;  "with  Mary"  in 
2:5;  "shepherds"  in  2:8;  "Jesus"  in  2:21;  "up  to  Jerusalem"  in 
2:22;  "Simeon"  in  2:25;  "Anna"  in  2:36;  "Nazareth"  in  2:39; 
"tweh^e  years  old"  in  2 :  42 ;  "Tiberius,"  "Pilate,"  "Herod"  and 
"Philip"  in  3:1;  "Annas,"  "Caiaphas"  and  "John"  in  3:2;  "do" 
in  3:10,  12,  14;  "praying"  in  3:21;  "thirty  years"  in  3:23; 
"tempted"  in  4:  2;  "It  is  written"  in  4:  4,  8;  "It  is  said"  in  4:  12. 

Mark,  i :  20,  67,  68,  80 ;  3 :  3,  16,  21,  22 ;  4 :  13. 

Personal  mark,  i :  46,  47 ;  2 :  30,  31,  49 ;  3  :  6. 

Mark  with  the  cross,  2 :  35. 

Mark  with  P,  meaning  prayer,  3 :  21. 

Divisions. — This  book  is  divided  as  follows :  I.  From  the  Birth 
of  John  to  the  Temptation  of  Jesus,  i:  1-4:  13;  11.  The  Ministry 

^Lu.  3:38. 

165 


i66  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

assigned  the  third  place  among  them.  While  much  of  its 
matter  is  found  in  the  other  Gospels,  fully  half  is  peculiar 
to  Luke,  especially  is  this  so  of  sixteen  parables  and  seven 
miracles  that  are  found  only  in  Luke.  Matthew  has  1068 
verses,  of  which  337  are  not  found  in  Mark  or  Luke; 
Mark  has  674  verses,  of  which  only  50  are  peculiar  to  that 
Gospel ;  Luke  has  1149  verses,  of  which  612  are  found  only 
in  Luke. 

While  Matthew  gives  an  account  of  the  birth  of  Jesus, 
only  Luke  tells  of  the  angel's  announcement  to  Mary,  of 
the  meeting  of  Mary  and  Elizabeth,  of  the  shepherds 
watching  their  flock,  of  the  angels'  song,  of  the  circum- 
cision, of  the  presentation  in  the  Temple,  and  alone  shows 
us  the  boyhood  of  Jesus,  when  He  was  twelve  3^ears  old — 
**the  solitary  flower  gathered  from  the  silence  of  thirty 
years" — and  so  Luke  is  more  distinctively  the  Gospel  of 
the  infancy  and  boyhood  of  Jesus. 

It  is  likewise  the  Gospel  of  prayer,  for  Luke  alone  tells 
of  Jesus  praying  when  He  was  baptized,^  before  He  called 
the  twelve,^  at  the  transfiguration,*  on  the  Cross  for  His 
murderers,^  blessing  at  the  ascension^  and  other  instances. 

Tradition  has  named  Luke  as  a  painter,  but  he  is  the 
musician  of  the  Gospels  and  his  book,  which  is  the  third 
biography  of  Jesus,  is  the  first  collection  of  Christian 
hymns.  His  Gloria  in  Excelsis  ( Glory  to  God  in  the  high- 
est^) was  sung  in  the  second  century;  his  Benedictus 
(Blessed  be  the  Lord,  the  God  of  IsraeP)  was  sung  in  the 

of  Jesus  in  Galilee,  4:14-9:30;  III.  The  Ministry  of  Jesus  in 
Samaria,  Persea,  Judaea  and  Jerusalem,  9:51-21:38;  IV.  The 
Trial,  Crucifixion,  Resurrection  and  Ascension,  22-24. 

Names  of  the  chapters  in  the  first  division:  i— Birth  of  John; 
2— The  Birth  and  Boyhood  of  Jesus;  3— John  and  Jesus;  4— 
Temptation  and  Sermon  in  Nazareth. 

^'Lu.  3 :  21.  *Lu.  9 :  28.  «Lu.  24 :  50.         *Lu.  i :  67-69. 

Lu.  6:  12,  13.     '^Lu.  2Z  :  34.         "Lu.  2  :  14. 


Luke  i  :  i  to  4:  13.  -167 

fourth  century;  his  Nunc  Dimittis  (Now  lettest  Thou  Thy 
servant  depart,  Lord'^)  was  sung  in  the  fifth  century;  his 
Magnificat  (My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord^^)  was  sung 
in  the  sixth  century.  "The  gospel  of  the  Saviour,"  said 
Farrar,  ''begins  with  hymns  and  ends  with  praises;  and 
as  the  thanksgiving  of  the  meek  are  recorded  in  the  first 
chapter,  so  in  the  last  we  listen  to  the  gratitude  of  the 
faithful." 

This  Gospel  is  addressed, to  Theophilus,  meaning  "lover 
of  God"  and,  since  no  such  person  is  known,  this  term  was 
probably  used  as  an  ideal  name  for  all  the  lovers  of  God 
in  general,  and  the  purpose  of  Luke's  writing  it  was  "that 
thou  mightest  know  the  certainty  concerning  the  things 
wherein  thou  wast  instructed. "^^ 

The  Author  and  Date. — Luke  appears  to  be  a  con- 
tracted or  Greek  form  of  the  Latin  Lucamis,  which  Jerome 
used  at  the  head  of  the  Vulgate  translation,  and  this  name, 
according  to  Bebb,  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  Lucius 
of  Acts  13:  I  and  Romans  16:  21.  He  is  usually  consid- 
ered a  Gentile,  by  some  a  Syrian  and  by  others  a  Greek, 
but  little  is  known  of  him.  He  is  mentioned  only  three 
times  in  the  New  Testament — when  he  was  in  Rome  with 
Paul,  who  speaks  of  him  as  "the  beloved  physician"^-  and 
calls  him  his  fellow-worker^^  and,  when  all  had  deserted 
Paul  in  his  second  imprisonment,  he  wrote  Timothy  in  his 
last  letter,  "Only  Luke  is  with  me."^"^  While  physicians 
frequently  had  no  higher  rank  in  those  days  than  a  slave, 
at  the  same  time  slaves  were  frequently  more  cultured 
than  their  masters,  and  Luke  shows  himself  to  be  an  accom- 
plished writer  and  an  accurate  historian.  He  says  that  he 
"traced  the  course  of  all  things  accurately  from  the  first."^^ 


«Lu.  2  :  29,  30.       "Lii.  1 :  1-3.         "Phi.  24.  "Lu. 

"Lu.  1 :  46-55.       '-Col.  4 :  14.  ''2  Tim.  4:11- 


i68  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Being  regarded  as  the  author  of  the  book  of  Acts  as 
well  as  of  the  Gospel  of  Luke,  he  appears  to  have  been  the 
companion  of  Paul  from  Troas/^  when  he  ceased  to  speak 
in  the  third  person,  but  henceforth  spoke  in  the  first  person 
plural — "we."  From  this  Ramsay  concluded  that  Paul 
met  Luke  first  at  Troas  and  that  he  was  the  man  of  Mace- 
donia, whom  Paul  saw  in  the  vision,  beseeching  him  to 
come  over  to  his  own  country.  From  this  time,  about  50 
A.  D.,  Luke  appears  to  be  the  constant  companion  of  Paul, 
with  the  exception  of  the  departure  of  Paul  from  Philippi 
on  his  second  tour  and  his  return  there  on  his  third  tour, 
when  Luke  appears  to  have  been  left  in  charge  of  the 
Church  there  for  that  period.^^ 

He  was  with  Paul  in  his  imprisonments  and  it  has  been 
frequently  affirmed  that  during  Paul's  two  years'  impris- 
onment at  Caesarea,  58-60  A.  D.,  Luke  wrote  his  Gospel, 
although  Irenaeus  said  it  was  written  after  the  death  of 
Paul,  so  the  date  may  be  anywhere  from  58  to  70  A.  D. 
Irenaeus  said,  ''Luke  the  companion  of  Paul  recorded  in  a 
book  the  Gospel  preached  by  him";  and  Plummer  said, 
"It  is  manifest  that  in  all  parts  of  the  Christian  world  the 
third  Gospel  .  .  .  was  universally  believed  to  be  the 
work  of  Saint  Luke.  No  one  speaks  doubtfully  on  this 
point."  Tradition  has  said  that  he  was  one  of  the 
seventy,^^  that  he  was  one  of  the  Greeks  who  desired  to 
see  Jesus,^^  and  that  he  was  the  unnamed  companion  of 
Cleopas,^^  and  some  traditions  affirm  that  he  died  by  mar- 
tyrdom and  others  that  he  died  a  natural  death  in  Bithynia 
at  the  age  of  seventy-four. 

The  lessons  of  this  first  division  are  considered  as  fol- 
lows: 

'•'Acts  16 :  10.  ^«Lu.  10 :  i.  ^«Lu.  24 :  13. 

"Acts  17 :  I ;  20 :  5.     '"John  12  :  20. 


Luke  i  :  i  to  4:  13.  169 

Zacharias  and  Elizabeth  (1:5-25). — The  Jewish 
priests  were  divided  into  twenty-four  courses,  there  being 
sixteen  sons  of  Eleazar  and  eight  sons  of  Ithamar,  both 
sons  of  Aaron.^^  The  heads  of  the  courses  were  selected 
by  lot,  and  the  eighth  fell  to  Abijah,  who  appears  to  have 
been  of  the  house  of  Eleazar.  On  the  return  from  the 
Babylonian  captivity,  there  were  but  four  courses,  com- 
prising about  a  thousand  each,  and  the  whole  priesthood 
was  reorganized  under  the  old  names  into  the  twenty-four 
courses-"  and  the  heads  of  the  courses  came  to  be  called 
*'the  chief  priests."  Each  course  served  a  full  week,  be- 
ginning with  the  Sabbath  morning  service.  Zacharias 
belonged  to  the  course  of  Abijah.  While  sacrifices  were 
offered  twice  every  day,-^  there  were  thousands  of  priests, 
and  only  occasionally  did  it  fall  to  one's  lot  to  serve  more 
than  once  in  the  same  capacity  in  a  long  period,  some- 
times only  once  or  twice  in  a  lifetime. 

The  various  parts  of  the  service  were  assigned  by  lot, 
one  to  kill  the  sacrifice,  one  to  sprinkle  the  blood,  one  to 
burn  the  incense  and  other  service.  In  this  instance  the 
burning  of  the  incense  fell  to  Zacharias,  who,  in  spite  of 
the  degeneration  of  those  days,  was,  like  Elizabeth  his  wife, 
''righteous  before  God,  walking  in  all  the  commandments 
and  ordinances  of  the  Lord  blameless."  Elizabeth  was 
likewise  of  the  priestly  family  of  Aaron  and  a  kinswoman 
of  Mary  the  mother  of  Jesus.  The  incense  was  burned 
in  the  Holy  Place  of  the  Temple  and  the  altar  stood  just  in 
front  of  the  veil  that  separated  it  from  the  Most  Holy 
Place.  The  incense  was  a  mixture  of  sweet  spices  and 
could  only  be  used  in  the  Temple  worship.-^  It  was  a 
symbol  of  prayer.-^  Burning  of  incense  was  practiced 
among  both  the  Jews  and  the  Pagans,  but  it  was  not  prac- 

-'i  Ch.  24 :  1-19.      ''Ex.  30 :  7,  8.  '^Psa.  141 12;  Rev.  5  :  8. 

''Ezra  2  :  36-39.      ''Ex.  30 :  34-38. 


170  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

ticed  among  Christians  during  the  apostolic  period,  and 
Tertullian  and  others  of  the  second  century  affirmed  that 
burning  of  incense  had  no  place  in  Christian  worship. 

As  to  the  ages  of  Zacharias  and  Elizabeth,  we  only 
know  that  the  Levites  were  relieved  of  duty  at  the  age  of 
fifty,-*^  although  Lightfoot  was  of  the  opinion  that  this  did 
not  apply  to  the  priests.  Said  Oosterzee,  "The  laws  of 
nature  are  not  chains  which  the  Divine  Legislator  has  laid 
upon  Himself:  they  are  threads  which  He  holds  in  His 
hand,  and  which  He  shortens  and  lengthens  at  will." 

The  Annunciation  (1:26-37). — Such  is  the  term  of 
that  historic  event  by  which  Gabriel,  whom  Milton  called 
"the  affable  angel,"  informed  Mary  that  she  was  to  be  the 
mother  of  Jesus.  It  was  an  august  announcement  ex- 
pressed with  infinite  politeness,  and  Guido  Reni  made  it 
the  subject  of  one  of  his  greatest  paintings.  There  is  no 
evidence  that  Mary  was  other  than  an  ordinary  v/oman 
except  that  she  was  righteous  before  God  like  her  kins- 
woman Elizabeth.  Certainly  there  is  no  ground  for  the 
dogma  that  she  was  born  without  sin,  which  is  the  doc- 
trine of  the  immaculate  conception.  The  son  born  to  her 
was  to  be  a  king,  who  should  sit  upon  the  throne  of  David, 
"and  of  His  Kingdom  there  should  be  no  end." 

Unlike  Zacharias,  believing  the  message,  she  inquired 
of  Gabriel  the  manner  of  the  accomplishment  and  accepted 
the  sacred  trust,  although  realizing  the  suspicion  that 
would  be  cast  upon  her.  According  to  the  rabbis,  Isaac, 
Ishmael,  Moses,  Solomon  and  Josiah  were  named  before 
they  were  born,  and  the  Talmud  said  it  would  be  so  of  the 
Messiah,  "whom  may  the  Holy  One  bring  quickly  in  our 
dav." 


-^«Nu.  8 124,25. 


Luke  i  :  i  to  4:  13.  171 

Mary's  Hymn  of  Praise  (i  :  39-56). — This  hymn  has 
been  compared  with  the  song  of  triumph  of  Moses  and 
Miriam-'  and  with  Hannah's  song  on  the  birth  of  Sam- 
uel,^^  and  while  it  is  necessarily  similar  in  some  respects, 
for  Mary  was  familiar  with  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures, 
yet  it  is  greatly  superior  in  spirit  to  these  as  well  as  the  tri- 
umphal odes  of  the  Psalms.  It  breathes  the  lofty  spirit 
of  Christianity  in  opposition  to  any  personal  exultation 
over  one's  enemies.  It  may  be  divided  into  three  parts: 
(i)  Mary's  thanksgiving  for  God's  goodness  to  her  per- 
sonalty— 46-49;  (2)  recognition  of  His  providential  grace 
in  dealing  with  all  generations — 50-53;  (3)  declaring  the 
fulfilment  of  Plis  promise  to  Abraham  and  all  Israel  con- 
cerning the  Messiah — 54,  55.  The  three  months'  visit  of 
Mary  to  Elizabeth,  perhaps  near  Hebron,  makes  one  of 
the  holiest  chapters  in  human  annals.  What  moments  of 
communion ! 

Zacharias'  Psalm  of  Thanksgiving  (1:67-79). — 
This  is  a  beautiful  prophecy  concerning  the  Kingdom  of 
Christ  and  may  be  divided  as  follows :  ( i )  Thanksgiving 
for  redemption  through  Christ — 68-70;  (2)  salvation 
according  to  the  covenant  with  Abraham — 71-75;  (3) 
the  service  of  John  the  Baptist — 76-77;  (4)  the  gospel 
proclamation — 78,  79.  Like  the  Old  Testament  prophe- 
cies, these  New  Testament  prophecies  abound  in  praises 
and  thanksgiving  for  the  redemption  through  Christ. 

The  Enrolment  (2:  1-7). — Although  Judaea  did  not 
become  a  Roman  province  until  the  removal  of  Archelaus, 
the  son  of  Herod  the  Great  (6  A.  D.),  yet  at  this  time  it 
was  tributary  to  Rome.  Csesar  Augustus,  called  in  his 
youth  Caius  Octavian,  was  the  great-nephew  and  adopted 
son  of  Julius  Caesar.     Augustus,  meaning  ^'majestic,"  was 

"Ex.  15.     ^i  Sam.  2:  i-io. 


172  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

conferred  on  him  bv  the  Roman  senate,  27  B.  C.  He 
usurped  absolute  power  under  the  disguise  of  repubUcan 
forms,  and  so  he  became  the  first  Roman  emperor,  and  his 
reign  was  prosperous.  Quirinius,  who,  according  to 
Wolsey,  may  have  been  commissioned  at  that  time  and 
later  governor  of  Syria,  or  according  to  Karl  Zumpt,  gov- 
ernor twice,  appears  to  have  had  charge  of  this  census  or 
enrolment,  preparatory  to  the  taxation.  After  the  death 
of  Augustus  a  document  was  found  written  in  his  own 
hand,  enumerating  the  strength  of  the  empire  and  its 
tributary  kingdoms  and  doubtless  referred  to  this  census. 
However,  in  the  fourth  century  the  document  of  this  cen- 
sus according  to  Chrysostom  was  found  in  the  Roman 
archives. 

The  Roman  method,  like  that  in  America,  was  to  take 
the  census  of  a  city  or  community  of  the  persons  living 
there,  but  Judaea,  not  yet  being  a  Roman  province,  took 
the  census  according  to  the  Jewish  method,  which  was 
based  on  the  tribes  and  their  families.  Under  the  Roman 
law,  women  were  subject  to  the  capitation  tax,  so  Mary 
accompanied  Joseph  to  Bethlehem.  All  things  were  mov- 
ing for  the  accurate  fulfilment  of  prophecy. 

Bethlehem  (2:4). — Ephrathah  appears  to  have  been 
the  ancient  name  of  Bethlehem. ^^  It  was  the  home  of 
David,  and  it  is  situated  five  miles  south  of  Jerusalem  on 
a  ridge  of  hills.  In  its  fields,  Ruth  gleaned,  David 
watched  his  father's  sheep  and  Amos  led  his  flocks.  Joseph 
and  Mary  came  more  than  eighty  miles,  covering  from  four 
to  six  days.  Never  was  a  child's  birth  so  magnificent  and 
at  the  same  time  so  poverty  stricken.  Drivers  frequently 
sleep  in  the  stable  compartment  of  an  inn.  Such  appears 
to  have  been  the  lodging  place  of  Joseph  and  Mary. 

''Ruth  4:  11;  Micah  5:2. 


Luke  i:  i  to  4:  13.  173 

Instead  of  in  a  cradle,  Jesus  was  laid  in  a  manger  or  a 
feeding  trough.  In  the  east  end  of  the  village  is  the 
Church  of  the  Nativity,  which  reaches  back  to  330  A.  D. 
and  it  is  said  to  occupy  the  site  over  a  cave  where  Jesus 
was  born.  According  to  Justin  Martyr,  caves  were  some- 
times used  for  both  dwelling-houses  and  stables.  In  a 
part  of  this  structure,  called  the  cave-chapel,  Jerome  is 
said  to  have  spent  thirty  years  preparing  the  Vulgate 
translation.  When  Rome  was  sacked  by  Alaric,  many  of 
its  leading  citizens  found  a  refuge  at  Bethlehem,  which 
served  as  a  shelter  for  the  remnant  of  the  starving  citizens 
of  proud  Rome. 

The  Shepherds  (2:8-20). — A  mile  out  from  Bethlehem 
is  said  to  be  the  field  of  the  shepherds,  which  is  now 
marked  by  a  chapel  called  "The  Angel  to  the  Shepherds." 
The  time  of  the  year  is  unknown,  but  it  is  not  likely  to 
have  been  in  the  winter  months,  when  the  sheep  were 
usually  housed  at  night.  Perhaps  the  sheep  and  lambs 
were  used  in  the  Temple  sacrifice.  It  is  another  instance 
of  God's  free  grace  when  the  herald  angel  passed  by  the 
city  and  came  to  the  rude  shepherds,  who  were  watching 
their  flocks  from  wolves,  robbers  and  sudden  storms. 

'*It  came  upon  the  midnight  clear, 

That  glorious  song  of  old, 
From  angels  bending  near  the  earth 

To  touch  their  harps  of  gold : 
'Peace  on  the  earth,  good-will  to  men, 

From  Heaven's  all-gracious  King' ; 
The  world  in  solemn  stillness  lay 

To  hear  the  angels  sing." 

Fear  takes  hold  of  all  mankind  at  the  consciousness  of 
the  approach  of  God.     It  was  so  with  Adam;^°  it  is  so 

'"Gen.  3 :  10. 


174  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

with  all  and  it  declares  our  unfitness  for  association  with 
the  Father,  and  therefore  out  of  our  own  experiences  is 
affirmed  the  necessity  of  a  Redeemer.  The  first  evangelist 
was  an  angel,  and  his  message  was,  (i)  good  tidings,  (2) 
of  great  joy,  (3)  to  all  people  and  (4)  because  of  the  sal- 
vation through  Christ  the  Lord.  Schaff  interpreted  the 
reading,  "peace  among  men  of  good  will." 

The  Presentation  in  the  Temple  (2:  21-39).— In 
the  eighteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  Herod  the  Great 
(20,  19  B.  C.),  he  started  the  rebuilding  of  the  Temple. 
Before  pulling  down  the  Temple  that  Zerubbabel  had 
built,  he  got  together  all  the  material  for  the  erection  of 
the  new  Temple,  which  was  erected  on  the  same  site  as 
Zerubbabers,  and  he  appears  to  have  doubled  it  in  size. 
The  Temple  itself  was  perhaps  no  larger  than  Solomon's, 
but  from  the  accounts  of  Josephus  it  must  have  exceeded 
it  in  splendor.  It  was  built  of  white  marble  with  162 
Corinthian  columns,  so  large  "that  three  men  with  their 
hands  stretched  out  could  hardly  clasp  around  one."  Like 
Solomon's  Temple,  little  is  known  of  its  style  of  architec- 
ture. Some  have  argued  that  it  furnished  the  basis  of  the 
Saracenic  or  Oriental  architecture,  but  it  may  have  been 
Babylonian,  Phoenician,  Egyptian  or  most  likely  Grecian, 
the  revival  of  which  characterized  that  period.  It  had 
thirty-seven  chambers  and  a  great  number  of  porticoes, 
and  a  magnificent  bridge  connected  it  with  Mount  Zion, 
the  site  of  Herod's  palace,  which  was  built  on  the  ruins  of 
Solomon's.  The  whole  building  accommodated  210,000 
persons  and  covered  an  area  of  nineteen  acres.  Its  eastern 
front  and  a  large  part  of  its  side  walls  were  covered  with 
plates  of  gold,  "which  threw  back  the  rays  of  the  rising 
sun  and  formed  an  object  of  rare  beauty  for  miles  around." 
It  had  no  windows,  but  was  lighted  by  lamps. 


Luke  i  :  i  to  4:  13.  175 

Into  this  building  of  unsurpassed  magnificence,  the  in- 
fant Jesus  was  brought  according  to  the  requirements  of 
the  Old  Testament  Law,  which  prescribed  that  thirty-three 
days  after  the  circumcision  of  a  son,  the  mother  should 
bring  a  lamb  and  a  young  pigeon  or  a  turtle-dove ;  and  if 
her  means  sufficed  not,  two  turtle-doves  or  two  young 
pigeons,  one  for  a  burnt  offering  and  the  other  for  a  sin- 
offering  f^  also  the  Law  prescribed  that  the  first-born  son 
should  be  presented,  and  if  not  of  the  Levites,  to  be  re- 
deemed from  the  priestly  service  by  an  offering  of  five 
shekels,  which  amounted  to  $3.00.^- 

Tradition  says  that  Simeon  recognized  Jesus  because 
He  was  shining  like  a  star  in  His  mother's  arms.  It  may 
have  been  that  Simeon  who  was  the  father  of  Gamaliel. 
It  was  a  common  form  of  prayer  among  the  rabbis  re- 
ferring to  the  coming  of  the  Messiah  to  say,  *'So  let  me 
see  the  consolation  of  Israel."  He  was  led  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  as  had  been  other  prophets  of  old,  and  he  proclaimed 
Jesus  as  a  light  to  the  Gentiles  and  the  glory  of  Israel. 
Anna,  the  same  name  as  the  Hebrew  "Hannah,"  who  may 
have  been  employed  in  looking  after  some  of  the  chambers 
of  the  Temple,  was  of  the  tribe  of  Asher,  which  was  cele- 
brated for  the  beauty  of  its  women.  She  proclaimed 
Jesus  to  all  those  who  were  looking  for  the  redemption  of 
Jerusalem,  and  appears  to  imply  a  redemption  as  distin- 
guished from  a  political  deliverance. 

Nazareth  (2:39). — It  was  an  obscure  village  in 
Galilee,  500  feet  above  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  and  beau- 
tifully located.  From  it  one  may  see  Mount  Carmel, 
which  was  Elijah's  place  of  victory;  Endor,  where  lived 
the  famous  witch ;  Jezreel,  which  was  the  palace  of  Ahab ; 
and  Mount  Hermon,  Nain,  Cana,  Sea  of  Galilee  and  other 


'^Lev.  12.     ^''Nu.  8 :  17 ;  3  :  41 ;  18 :  15.  16. 


176  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

places  of  note.  Said  Godet,  "Nazareth  was  in  Israel,  just 
what  Israel  was  in  the  midst  of  the  earth — a  place  at  once 
secluded  and  open ;  a  solitary  retreat,  and  a  high  post  of 
observation,  inviting  meditation  and  at  the  same  time  af- 
fording opportunity  for  far-reaching  views  in  all  direc- 
tions." For  some  unknown  reason  it  was  lightly  es- 
teemed. 

It  was  charged  that,  *'Out  of  Galilee  aristh  no  prophet."^^ 
While  Jesus  came  from  Bethlehem,  yet  out  of  Galilee  had 
arisen  Elisha,  Jonah,  Hosea,  Nahum,  Anna,  and,  accord- 
ing to  Jerome,  Paul's  parents  removed  from  Gischala  in 
Galilee  to  Cilicia,  so  that  Galilee  had  given  prophets  to  the 
world  and  Nazareth  was  for  thirty  years  the  home  of  the 
greatest  Prophet  of  all.  Every  village  had  its  synagogue 
and  school,  and  besides  Jesus  was  taught  the  Law  by 
Joseph.^-*  In  the  thought  of  Myers,  John  the  Baptist  gives 
a  picture  of  the  boyhood  days  of  Jesus, — 

"My  Lord  at  home 
Bright  in  the  full  face  of  the  dawning  day 
Stood  at  His  carpentr}',  and  azure  air 
Inarched  Him,  scattered  with  the  glittering  green : 
I  saw  Him  standing,  I  saw  His  face,  I  saw 
His  even  eyebrows  over  eyes  grey-blue, 
From  whence  with  smiling  there  looked  out  on  me 
A  welcome  and  a  wonder — 'Mine  so  soon?' 
Ah,  me,  how  sweet  and  unendurable 
Was  that  confronting  beauty  of  the  boy !" 

Tradition  says  that  Joseph  died  when  Jesus  was  nine- 
teen years  old,  and  thereafter  He  was  the  support  of  the 
family,  which  consisted  of  His  mother  and  several  half- 
brothers  and  sisters.^^  The  term  Nazarene  is  one  of  con- 
tempt to  this  day,  and  Isaiah's  prophecy^^  may  have  refer- 

^^ohn  7 :  41,  42.     '"Du.  11 :  19.     ^'^Mt.  13  :  55,  56.     '"Isa.  53  :  3. 


Luke  i  :  i  to  4:  13.  177 

ence  to  His  home  being  in  this  despised  village.     Its  pres- 
ent population  is  6000. 

At  Twelve  Years  (2  :  41-51). — The  Law  required  that 
all  the  males  should  attend  the  three  annual  Festivals  :^^ 

(i)  The  Feast  of  Unleavened  Bread,  or  the  Passover, 
which  preceded  it,  and  after  a  while  it  came  to  be  re- 
garded as  a  double  festival,  referred  to  their  experience 
in  Egypt.  It  was  observed  on  the  14th  day  of  the  first 
month  Abib,  and  the  day  following  began  the  Feast  of 
Unleavened  Bread,  and  continued  seven  days.^^ 

(2)  The  Feast  of  Harvest,  or  Pentecost,  was  fifty  days 
after  the  offering  of  the  Paschal  wave-sheaf.^^  It  was 
observed  about  the  8th  of  Sivan,  the  third  month,  and 
marked  the  completion  of  the  wheat  harvest,  and  ac- 
cording to  later  Jews  it  commemorated  the  giving  of  the 
Law  on  Mount  Sinai.     It  was  kept  only  one  day.*^ 

(3)  The  Feast  of  Ingathering,  or  Tabernacles,  which 
was  observed  from  the  15th  to  the  22d  of  Tisri,  the 
seventh  month,  marked  the  completion  of  the  harvest 
of  fruit,  oil  and  wine,  and  it  also  commemorated  the  wan- 
derings in  the  wilderness.*^  The  school  of  Hillel  required 
the  women  to  attend  the  Passover,  and  this  explains  the 
presence  of  Mary  on  this  occasion.  At  twelve  years  of 
age  a  Jewish  boy  took  upon  himself  legal  obligations  and 
was  called  "a  son  of  the  Law."  He  began  to  learn  a  trade 
and  to  wear  phylacteries.  Jesus  was  not  teaching  the 
rabbis,  but  rather,  as  was  the  custom  in  Jewish  schools, 
was  asking  questions  of  them  that  He  might  gain  more 
knowledge  of  the  Scriptures.  Both  Hunt  and  Hoffmann 
made  this  scene  the  subject  for  two  master  pictures.  Jesus' 
surprise  seems  to  imply  that  His  parents  should  have 


"Ex.  23  :  14-17.  '"Lev.  23  :  15-21.  ""Lev.  23  :  34-44- 

'*Lev.  23:5-8.  ^''Dn.  16:9-12. 


178  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

known  where  to  have  found  Him  and  further  indicating 
that  both  He  and  they  knew  at  that  time  His  Divine 
mission. 

The  Beginning  of  John's  Ministry  (3:  1-23).— Ti- 
berius Caesar  was  the  son  of  Livia,  who  had  been  divorced 
from  Claudius  and  had  married  Augustus  Caesar,  and  so 
Tiberius  became  the  stepson  of  Augustus  and,  on  his 
death  in  14  A.  D.,  he  became  his  successor  as  emperor  of 
the  Roman  empire,  having  shared  his  throne  two  years 
previously.  Pontius  Pilate  was  the  fifth  governor  of 
Judaea  and  Samaria,  having  entered  his  office  in  26  A.  D. 
Herod,  who  was  Herod  Antipas,  was  the  second  son  of 
Herod  the  Great.  Philip  was  the  fourth  son  of  Herod 
the  Great.  Lysanias  was  perhaps  the  son  of  one  bear- 
ing that  same  name  who  had  been  killed  by  Antony.  He 
ruled  the  tetrarchy  of  Abilene  in  Syria.  Its  capital  was 
Abila,  situated  on  one  of  the  slopes  of  Hermon.  Annas 
had  been  removed  from  the  high  priesthood  by  the  Roman 
government  and  Caiphas,  his  son-in-law,  was  filling  the 
office  at  the  time,  and  it  is  possible  that  in  the  Jewish  eyes 
Annas  was  still  the  high  priest,  although  in  public  matters 
Caiphas  acted.  At  the  time  of  these  political  and  ecclesi- 
astical rulers  John  began  his  ministry. 

[For  the  message  of  John  the  Baptist,  see 
Mt.  3;  for  the  Holy  Spirit  and  fire,  see  Mt.  3: 
II,  12;  for  the  baptism  of  Jesus,  see  Mt.  3: 
13-17.] 

The  Genealogy  (3:23-38). — This,  like  the  genealogy 
in  Matthew,  is  a  record  of  Joseph's  ancestry.  Genealogies 
of  women  were  unknown  among  the  Jews.  Matthew  be- 
gan with  Abraham,  but  L.uke  began  with  Adam.  The 
lists  differ  somewhat,  for  instance,  Luke  traces  from  Da- 
vid's son  Nathan,  while  Matthew  traces  from  David's  son 


Luke  i  :  i  to  4:  13.  179 

Solomon.  Matthew  appears  to  give  the  regal  descent,  and 
so  His  consequent  right  to  sit  upon  David's  throne,  while 
Luke  appears  to  give  the  natural  descent,  and  so  His  com- 
mon kinship  to  the  whole  race.  It  is  probable  that  Joseph 
and  Mary  were  kin,  so  that  both  genealogies  are  hers  as 
well  as  his. 

[For  the  temptation,  see  Mt.  4:1-11.] 


Lord,  I  bless  Thee  for  these  holy  pictures.  The  super- 
natural birth  of  Jesus  teaches  me  Thy  supernatural  power. 
His  growth  through  those  boyhood  days  in  Nazareth 
teaches  me  Thy  perfect  mastery  over  human  flesh,  and 
out  of  it  I  read  Thy  prophecy  of  universal  conquest,  when 
Thou  shalt  have  put  all  disorders  beneath  Thy  feet  and 
life  will  be  love.  Jesus  is  my  blood  kin,  and  on  the  shed- 
ding of  His  blood  He  has  redeemed  me  into  a  new  and 
blessed  relationship  of  eternal  kinship.  To  Thy  name  be 
glory  for  ever.    Amen. 


Questions. 

I.  Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter.  2.  What  the  title  and  limit  of  this 
division?  3.  Give  the  divisions  of  the  book  of  Luke.  4.  Name 
the  chapters  of  the  first  division.  5.  What  of  Luke  in  comparison 
with  the  other  Gospels?  6.  What  of  Luke's  mention  of  prayer? 
7.  What  of  Luke's  place  as  the  first  Christian  hymnologist?  8.  To 
whom  is  his  Gospel  addressed?  9.  Give  the  history  of  Luke  and 
the  date  of  his  Gospel.  10.  What  of  Zacharias  and  Elizabeth? 
II.  What  occurred  in  the  Temple  between  Gabriel  and  Zacha- 
rias? 12.  What  of  the  annunciation?  13.  What  was  Gabriel's 
promise  to  Mary  concerning  Jesus  (1:32,  33)?  14.  What  of 
Mary's  hymn  of  praise?  15.  What  of  the  circumstances  of  nam- 
ing John  (1:57-66)?  16.  What  of  Zacharias'  psalm  of  thanks- 
giving? 17.  What  of  John's  physical  and  spiritual  growth  (i :  80)  ? 
18.  What  of  the  enrolment?  19.  What  of  Bethlehem?  20.  What 
of  the  shepherds?  21.  What  of  the  presentation  in  the  Temple? 
22.    What   of    Nazareth?     23.    Explain    the    three    great    Feasts. 


i8o         Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

.4  What  of  the  visit  of  Jesus  to  Jerusalem  at  twelve  years? 
4'  What  of  the  physical  and  spiritual  growth  of  Jesus  (2:  40-52)  ? 
26  Tdlof  the  polUical  and  ecclesiastical  rulers  at  the  begmnmg 
of- John's  ministry?  27.  Give  the  Scriptural  account  of  Johns 
ministry  (3:13-22).  28.  What  of  the  Senealo^  ^^G.ve;" 
account  of  the  temptation  (4:1-13)-  3°.  What  .s  your  prayer 
amid  these  thoughts? 


LUKE. 
II.     The  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Galilee. — 4:14-9:50. 


"No  prophet  is  acceptable  in  his  own  country." — Jesus  to  the 
Nasarenes  (4:24). 


"It  came  to  pass  in  these  days,  that  He  went  out  into  the  moun- 
tain to  pray;  and  He  continued  all  night  in  prayer  to  God.  And 
when  it  was  day,  He  called  His  disciples;  and  He  chose  from 
them  twelve,  whom  also  He  named  apostles."— Lw^^  (6:  12,  13). 


"As  ye  would  that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  also  to  them 
likewise." — Jesus  (6:31). 


"If  ye  lend  to  them  of  whom  ye  hope  to  receive,  what  thank 
have  ye  ?  Even  sinners  lend  to  sinners,  to  receive  again  as  much. 
But  love  your  enemies,  and  do  them  good,  and  lend,  never  despair- 
ing; and  your  reward  shall  be  great,  and  ye  shall  be  sons  of  the 
Most  High:  for  He  is  kind  toward  the  unthankful  and  evil." — 
Jesus  (6:34,35). 


"Young  man,  I  say  unto  thee.  Arise." — Jesus  to  the  Dead  Son 
of  the  Widow  (7:  14)- 


"The  seed  is  the  Word  of  God." — Jesus   (8:  11). 


"Where  is  your  isikh?"— Jesus  to  His  Frightened  Disciples  on 
the  Sea  (8:25). 


182 


LUKE. 

II.     The  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Galilee. — 4:  14-9:50. 

Of  the  thirty-six  miracles,  twenty-one  are  in  Luke.  Fif- 
teen are  in  this  division,  twelve  of  which  are  mentioned  in 
Matthew,  and  only  three  in  this  division  are  peculiar  to 
Luke. 

Three  Miracles. — These  are:  (i)  Jesus  passed  un- 
seen through  the  multitude  at  Nazareth  (mentioned  only 
in  Lu.  4:29,  30),  which,  although  it  is  usually  classed 
among  His  miracles,  may  hardly  be  considered  miracu- 
lous, for  it  is  more  likely,  as  Godet  says,  "He  passed 
through  the  group  of  these  infuriated  people  with  a  maj- 
esty that  overawed  them." 

(2)  The  draught  of  fishes  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee  (men- 
tioned only  in  Lu.  5:4-11).  This  promise  to  Peter  had 
the  beginning  of  its  fulfilment  on  the  day  of  Pentecost, 
when  with  the  Gospel  net  he  drew  into  the  Church  of 
Christ  3,000  souls. 

(3)  Raising  the  son  of  the  widow  of  Nain  (mentioned 
only  in  Lu.  7:  1-17).     This  was  a  little  village  beautifully 


Markings. — Undermark,  4:14,  18,  19,  21;  6:13,  20,  46;  7:14, 
19;  8:21,  46,  54;  9:1,  20,  29;  also  undermark  the  words  "Naza- 
reth" in  4:  16;  ''Zarephath"  in  4:26;  "Naaman"  in  4:27;  "Caper- 
naum" in  4:31;  "unclean  demon"  in  4:33;  "the  fever"  in  4:39; 
"Gennesaret"  in  5:1;  "let  down  your  nets"  in  5:4;  "draft  of  the 
fishes"  in  5:9;  "leprosy"  in  5:12;  "palsied"  in  5:18;  "Levi"  in 
5 :  27 ;  "fast"  in  5 :  33  ;  "grainfields"  in  6:1;  "hand  was  withered" 
in  6:  6;  "merciful"  in  6:  36;  "judge  not"  in  6:  37;  "mote"  in  6:  41 ; 
"fruit"  in  6:44;  "rock"  in  6:48;  "earth"  in  6:49;  "centurion's 
servant"  in  7:2;  "great  faith"  in  7:9;  "Nain"  in  7:11;  "none 
greater"  in  7:28;  "alabaster  cruse"  in  7 '.  Z7  \  "feet"  in  7:38;  "two 


184  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

located  on  one  of  the  slopes  of  Little  Hermon,  just  above 
the  plain  of  Esdraelon  and  the  more  extensive  plain  of 
Jezreel,  where  were  fought  some  of  the  greatest  battles 
of  the  Orient  from  the  days  of  Saul  to  those  of  Napoleon. 
Instead  of  having  the  young  man  to  follow  Him,  He  gave 
him  back  to  his  mother,  who  needed  him  most. 

Parables. — Of  the  forty  parables,  twenty-five  are  in 
Luke,  of  which  sixteen  are  peculiar  to  this  Gospel.  Only 
one  of  these,  however,  is  in  this  division :  namely,  the  two 
debtors,  (mentioned  only  in  Lu.  7:41-43).  This  was 
spoken  in  Galilee  and  the  relative  debts  were  $9.00  and 
$90.00,  illustrating  the  differences  among  men  of  their 
unfulfilled  obligations  to  God. 

Sermon  in  Nazareth  (4:  14-30). — It  was  the  custom 
of  Jesus  to  attend  the  public  worship  on  the  Sabbath, 
which  is  a  lesson  to  all  who  desire  to  live  uprightly.  The 
rabbis  stood  while  reading  and  sat  while  teaching  or 
preaching.  His  message  was  to  the  poor,  the  captives, 
the  blind  and  the  bruised — all  four  despised  classes.  To 
the  first,  the  Gospel  gave  hope  and  stimulated  industry; 
to  the  second,  it  was  a  release  from  the  bonds  of  guilt  and 
human  slavery,  which  was  then  universal;  to  the  third, 


debtors"  in  7 :  41 ;  "Mary"  and  "Magdalene"  in  8:2;  "sower"  in 
8:5;  "lamp"  in  8:  16;  "Herod"  in  9:7;  "five  thousand"  in  9:  14; 
"only  child"  in  Q :  38 ;  "greatest"  in  9 :  46 ;  "forbade  him"  in  9 :  49. 

Mark,  4:  23,  29;  5 :  11,  26;  6:  14-16,  21-23,  26,  32-34,  45;  7:  5,  27, 
30,  50 ;  8 :  3 ;  9 :  35. 

Personal  mark,  5  :  3i,  32 ;  6 :  27,  28,  31,  35 ;  9  :  22,,  24,  48. 

Mark  with  cross,  9 :  22,  44. 

Mark  with  the  cross  crowned,  9 :  26,  29. 

Mark  with  P,  meaning  prayer,  5 :  16;  6:  12;  9:  16,  18,  28. 

Names  of  the  chapters  in  the  second  division:  5 — Preaching. 
Miracles  and  Parables;  6— Choosing  the  twelve  and  the  Brief  of 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount ;  7— Centurion's  Servant,  Nain,  and  the 
Alabaster  Cruse ;  8— Ministering  Women,  Parables  and  Miracles  ; 
9— The  Twelve  Commissioned,  the  5000  Fed  and  the  Transfig- 
uration. 


Luke  4:14  to  9 :  50.  185 

it  was  an  eye  salve  to  those  sitting  in  spiritual  darkness 
and  a  cure  to  the  physically  blind,  who  were  special  ob- 
jects of  Christ's  ministry;  to  the  fourth,  it  was  freedom 
from  the  bondage  of  conscience  and  a  comfort  to  the 
broken  hearted ;  and  to  all,  it  was  the  year  of  jubilee,  when 
slaves  were  set  free  and  debts  were  cancelled.  Jesus 
affirmed  that  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah  had  then  become  his- 
tory in  Himself.  As  Elijah  miraculously  gave  food  to 
the  Gentile  widow  of  Zarephath  and  Elisha  miraculously 
cured  the  Gentile  captain  of  Syria,  so  the  grace  of  God 
was  to  be  extended  to  the  sinners  of  the  outcast  nations. 
It  was  Christ's  first  intimation  of  the  Jew's  rejection  and 
the  Gentile's  acceptance  of  Christianity. 

[For  the  healing  of  the  demoniac  in  the  syna- 
gogue in  Capernaum,  see  Mk.  i :  21-26;  for  the 
healing  of  Peter's  mother-in-law,  see  Mt.  8: 
14,  15.] 

Demons  (4:41). — There  is  but  one  devil,  who  is  Satan, 
and  the  demons  should  not  be  referred  to  as  devils.  Some 
have  thought  that  their  possession  was  nothing  more  than 
ordinary  diseases  as  we  have  now  and  in  that  day  it  was 
universally  believed  that  all  sickness  was  the  result  of 
demoniacal  possession  very  much  as  in  heathen  countries 
now,  but  this  would  make  Jesus  sharing  the  ignorance 
and  superstition  of  that  age  in  recognizing  a  cause  that 
really  had  no  existence.  Many  of  the  highest  authorities 
in  mental  diseases  have  considered  ''moral  insanity"  as 
demoniacal  possession.  Josephus  regarded  the  demons 
as  spirits  of  the  wicked  dead  and  he  told  of  one  Eleazar, 
who  put  a  ring  to  the  nostrils  of  a  man  possessed  of  a 
demon,  and,  drawing  the  demon  out  through  the  nostrils, 
the  man  fell  to  the  ground.  The  book  of  Enoch  consid- 
ered them  as  lost  angels. 


i86  AxMONG  THE  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

The  influence  of  evil  spirits  has  its  source  in  the  early 
history  of  mankind  and  has  been  recognized  in  all  condi- 
tions of  civilization  in  all  ages.  The  demonology  of  the 
New  Testament  presents  some  difficult  conditions.  These 
demons  entered  into  human  beings  and  swine ;  they  could 
speak,  using  the  organs  of  the  human  voice ;  many  of  them 
could  possess  one  human  being  at  the  same  time ;  and  the 
most  remarkable  of  all,  they  knew  Jesus  as  the  Son  of 
God  before  His  disciples  knew  Him  by  that  term,  and 
they  recognized  that  a  time  had  been  set  for  their  judg- 
ment, in  saying,  "Art  Thou  come  hither  to  torment  us 
before  our  timet' 

Jesus  recognized  them  as  personalities  distinct  from  the 
one  whom  they  possessed  and  as  evil  spirits  under  the 
control  of  Satan.  Said  Lange,  "The  common  character- 
istic of  all  was  cowardice,  a  cowardly  surrender  of  a  weak 
and  lowered  consciousness  to  wicked  influences."  While 
demoniacal  possession  is  the  best  explanation  of  the  pres- 
ent so-called  "moral  insanity,"  yet  it  was  intimated  that 
they  would  decrease  in  their  influence  on  the  earth,-  but 
toward  the  end  of  this  dispensation  their  influence  will 
increase  for  a  time.^ 

[For  the  healing  of  the  leper,  see  Mt.  8:  1-4; 
for  the  healing  of  the  palsied  man,  see  Mt.  9 :  1-8 ; 
for  the  call  of  Levi  and  his  feast,  see  the  first  di- 
vision in  Mt. ;  for  fasting  and  the  parables  of  the 
new  garment  and  the  wine-skins,  see  Mt.  9: 
14-17.] 

Going  Through  the  Grainfields  on  the  Sabbath 
(6:1-5;  Mt.  12:1-8;  Mk.  2:23-28).— This  was  a  field 
of  wheat  or  barley.  Indian  corn  appears  to  have  been 
known  to  the  Egyptians,  but  there  is  no  record  of  it  being 
known  to  the  Hebrews.     The  Old  Testament  Law  per- 

'Mt.  8 :  29.     'Zech.  13  :  2 ;  i  John  3  :  8.     "Rev.  16  :  13,  14. 


Luke  4:  14  to  9:  50.  187 

mitted  the  plucking  of  standing  grain  as  one  passed 
tbrongh  the  fields,*  but  the  law  of  the  rabbis  allowed  no 
eating  on  the  Sabbath  before  the  morning  prayers  in  the 
synagogue  nor  the  plucking  of  heads  of  wheat,  which  was 
counted  reaping,  nor  the  walking  on  the  grass  on  the  Sab- 
bath, which  was  counted  threshing,  nor  catching  a  flea, 
which  was  counted  hunting.  David  ate  the  showbread, 
which  consisted  of  twelve  loaves  placed  fresh  every  Sab- 
bath on  the  table  in  the  sanctuary  where  it  was  to  be  eaten 
by  the  priests,^  and  the  priests  were  required  to  work  as 
hard  on  the  Sabbath  as  on  any  other  day  in  kindling  fires 
and  offering  sacrifices.*^  Ceremonial  observances  must 
give  way  to  the  law  of  love  and  self-preservation. 

[For  the  healing  of  the  man  with  the  withered 
hand,  see  Mt.  12:  9-14.] 

The  Twelve  and  Their  First  Commission  (6  :  12-19; 
9:  1-6;  Mt.  10;  Mk.  3:  13-19). — The  word  apostle  means 
"ambassador,"  one  who  both  carries  the  message  and  rep- 
resents the  sender.  According  to  Basil  L.  Gildersleeve, 
since  the  term  'T  send"  is  represented  by  the  two  Greek 
words  pempo,  which  refers  to  ordinary  authority,  and 
stello,  which  refers  to  extraordinary,  or  official,  authority, 
and  the  word  "apostle"  being  derived  from  the  latter  term, 
indicating  official  authority,  therefore  the  apostles  could 
not  have  had  successors.  Peter's  original  name  was 
Simeon,  called  by  the  Greek  modification  Simon,  which 
means  "the  son  of  a  dove,"  but  the  name  was  changed  to 
Peter,  meaning  "a  rock,"  where  the  dove  hides.  Andreiv, 
meaning  "manly,"  was  his  brother  and  they,  with  their 
father  Jonas,  or  John,  conducted  a  fishing  business  on  the 
Sea  of  Galilee.  They  appear  to  have  been  originally  of 
Bethsaida,  but  later  they  lived  in  Capernaum.     They  were 


*Du.  2Z  :  25.      ^i  Sam.  21 :  1-9.      "Nu.  28 :  9,  10. 


i88  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

among  the  first  disciples  of  Jesus,  both  having  been  dis- 
ciples of  John  the  Baptist.  In  bringing  Peter  to  Jesus, 
Andrew  may  be  called  the  first  missionary  of  Christ. 
Peter,  whom  Chrysostom  styled  "the  mouth  of  the  apos- 
tles" was  said  to  have  been  crucified  under  Nero  with  his 
head  downward  and  Andrew  was  crucified  in  Petrse  in 
Achaia  upon  a  cross  like  this  X  which  subsequently  was 
called  Saint  Andrew's  cross. 

Jmnes,  the  English  form  of  Jacob,  meaning  "sup- 
planter,"  and  John,  the  English  contraction  of  Johanan, 
meaning  "Jehovah  have  mercy,"  were  sons  of  Zebedee 
and  Salome,  who  appears  to  have  been  a  sister  of  Mary  the 
mother  of  Jesus.  They  were  fishermen  and,  with  their 
father,  they  were  partners  with  Peter  and  Andrew. 
Both  were  possibly  disciples  of  John  the  Baptist  and  both 
were  identified  with  Jesus  in  the  early  part  of  His  min- 
istry. James  was  the  first  of  the  apostles  to  suflfer 
martyrdom,  being  beheaded  by  Herod  Agrippa  in  44  A.  D. 
and  John  outlived  all  the  apostles.  He  is  said  to  have 
died  at  Ephesus  about  98-100  A.  D.  Peter,  James  and 
John  were  called  "the  inner  circle  of  the  elect"  by  Clement 
of  Alexandria. 

Philip,  meaning  "lover  of  horses,"  was  of  Bethsaida  of 
Galilee.  He  was  doubtless  a  disciple  of  John  the  Baptist 
and  appears  to  have  been  the  fourth  of  the  apostles  to  at- 
tach himself  to  Jesus.  He  brought  to  Jesus  Nathanael, 
meaning  "God  has  given"  who  is  generally  thought  to  be 
the  same  as  Bartholomew,  which  is  a  title  rather  than  a 
name,  meaning  "son  of  Tholmai."  Matthew,  meaning 
"Jehovah's  gift,"  who  was  also  called  Levi,  was  a  publican 
doing  business  in  Capernaum,  when  he  obeyed  the  call  of 
Jesus  and  became  a  disciple.  Thomas,  an  x\ramaic  word, 
like  the  Greek  word  Didvmus,  meant  "the  twin,"  so  it 


Luke  4:  14  to  9:  50.  189 

was  not  a  name  at  all,  but  he  was  called  Thomas  or  the 
Twin  to  distinguish  him  from  others  who  bore  his  real 
name,  which,  according  to  Eusebius,  was  Judas,  and  he 
was  doubtless  of  Galilee. 

James,  who  was  the  son  of  Alphaeus,  and,  tradition  says, 
a  tax-gatherer,  may  have  been  the  brother  of  Mat- 
thew, who  is  also  described  as  being  the  son  of  Alph^eus. 
He  is  sometimes  called  James  the  Less,  or  the  Little,'^  to 
distinguish  him  from  others  of  that  name.  Simon,  which 
in  its  Hebrew  form  Simeon  meant  ''famous,"  was  called 
the  Zealot  or  Canansean,  which  was  a  sect  that  was  op- 
posed to  the  second  census  of  Quirinius  (6  or  7  A.  D.)  and 
resented  Roman  domination.  Their  fanaticism  had  much 
to  do  with  the  final  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 

Judas,  which  was  the  Greek  form  of  the  Hebrew  name 
Judah,  the  son  or  brother  of  James,  was  also  called  Thad- 
daeus,  meaning  "courageous,"  and  he  has  been  called  Leb- 
baeus,  meaning  "hearty."  Judas  Iscariot  was  the  treasurer 
of  the  apostolic  group.  His  name  is  the  Greek  form  of 
the  Hebrew  Judah  and  Iscariot,  meaning  "the  man  of 
Karioth,"  was  the  home  of  the  family  in  Judaea,  south  of 
Hebron.     After  betraying  Jesus  he  committed  suicide. 

All  of  the  twelve  appear  to  have  been  Galilasans,  except 
Judas,  who  doubtless  in  keeping  with  all  the  Jews  of 
Judaea,  looked  down  upon  the  Galilaean  Jews  and  out  of  his 
social  position  he  may  have  been  made  the  one  officer 
among  the  apostles.  He  was  of  the  same  tribe  as  Jesus. 
There  appear  to  have  been  among  them  two  first  cousins 
of  Jesus  and  three  pair  of  brothers  and  five  were  prev- 
iously disciples  of  John  the  Baptist.  Several  were  fisher- 
men and  none  were  priests  or  scribes.  While  they  were 
not  versed  in  rabbinical  literature,  they  understood  Greek 


'Mk.  15:40. 


I90  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

and  Aramaic  and  those  who  have  left  us  any  writings  show 
abiUty,  particularly  John,  who  was  undoubtedly  a  man  of 
culture.  More  is  known  of  the  ministry  of  Paul  than  of 
all  these  combined  and  of  half  of  these  nothing  is  known 
more  than  the  mere  mention  of  their  names  in  the  list  of 
the  apostles. 

In  the  tenth  chapter  of  Matthew,  their  commission, 
which  was  purely  for  temporary  service,  is  given,  which 
may  be  divided  into  five  parts  as  follows :  ( i )  They  were 
sent  only  to  the  Jews  and  were  given  the  power  to  work 
miracles — 5-15;  (2)  cautioned  of  their  hardships — 16-23; 
(3)  encouraged  with  the  promise  of  the  Father's  care — 
24-33;  (4)  the  cost  of  service — 34-39;  (S)  rewards — 
40-42.  Upon  the  entire  commission  Chrysostom  re- 
marked: "Seest  thou  what  mighty  persuasions  He  used, 
and  how  He  opened  to  them  the  houses  of  the  whole 
world?  Yea,  He  signified  that  men  are  their  debtors, 
first,  by  saying,  the  workman  is  worthy  of  his  hire;  sec- 
ondly, by  sending  them  forth  bearing  nothing ;  thirdly,  by 
giving  them  up  to  w^ars  and  fightings  in  behalf  of  them 
that  receive  them ;  fourthly,  by  committing  to  them  mir- 
acles also;  fifthly,  in  that  He  did  by  their  lips  introduce 
peace,  the  cause  of  all  blessings,  into  the  houses  of  such  as 
receive  them ;  sixthly,  by  threatening  things  more  griev- 
ous than  Sodom  to  such  as  receive  them  not ;  seventhly,  by 
signifying  that  as  many  as  welcome  them  are  receiving 
both  Himself  and  the  Father ;  eighthly,  by  promising  both 
a  prophet's  and  a  righteous  man's  reward ;  ninthly,  by  un- 
dertaking that  the  recompense  shall  be  great,  even  for  a 
cup  of  cold  water." 

[For  the  account  of  the  sermon  on  the  mount, 
see  Mt.  5-7:  for  the  healing  of  the  centurion's 
servant,  see  Mt.  8:  5-13.] 


Luke  4:  14  to  9:  50.  191 

The  Anointing  of  Jesus  by  a  Penitent  Woman 
(7:36-50). — Matthew,^  Mark'*  and  John^**  mentioned  an 
anointing  of  Jesus  in  the  Passion  week,  which  must  have 
occurred  in  Judaea ;  this  anointing  appears  to  have  beet\ 
in  the  early  part  of  His  ministry  and  occurred  in  Galilee. 
Luke  records  that  three  times  Jesus  received  a  Pharisee's 
hospitality/^  showing  that  not  all  the  Pharisees  were  His 
enemies.  A  woman  with  unbound  hair  among  the  Jews 
was  a  sign  of  harlotry.  Not  .daring  to  approach  His  head, 
she  anointed  His  feet  only,  upon  which  her  tears  of  peni- 
tence dropped  and  she  wiped  them  away  with  her  loose 
tresses  and  fondly  kissed  His  feet,  showing  that  penitence 
draws  near  to  Christ.  Simon  realized  some  degree  of  sin- 
fulness in  his  life  from  the  comparison  that  Jesus  made 
between  him  and  the  woman.  When  Francis  of  Assisi 
was  once  called  thief,  murderer,  drunkard  and  such  like 
terms  by  an  angry  brother,  he  meekly  confessed  that  all 
was  true,  and  when  later  asked  to  explain,  he  said,  "All 
these  and  still  worse  crimes  had  I  committed,  had  not  the 
favor  of  Heaven  preserved  me." 

While  the  woman  is  entirely  unknown,  she  has  been 
identified  with  Mary  Magdalene,  because  in  the  next 
chapter  she  is  mentioned  as  one,  out  of  whom  seven 
demons  had  been  cast,  and  according  to  Lightfoot,  the 
town  of  Magdala,  her  home,  situated  near  Tiberias,  was 
notorious  for  its  harlotry,  and  further,  Bernard  of  Clair- 
vaux  and  others  identify  Mary  Magdalene  with  Mary  of 
Bethany,  who  gave  the  second  anointing  and  whose  home 
at  Bethany  was  only  a  little  distance  away  from  the  sepul- 
chre, so  she  could  come  early  while  it  was  yet  dark,  bring- 
ing the  spices  to  complete  the  embalmment  of  the  body  of 
Jesus. 


'Mt.  26 :  7.     "Mk.  14 :  3.      '"John  12  :  3.      "Lu.  1 1 :  37 ;  U :  i- 


192  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

[For  the  parable  of  the  sower,  see  Mt.  13: 
1-23;  for  an  account  of  calming  the  tempest,  see 
Mt.  8 :  23-27 ;  for  the  casting  out  of  the  legion  of 
demons,  see  Mt.  8 :  28-34 ;  for  the  raising  from 
the  dead  the  daughter  of  Jairus  and  healing  the 
woman  of  the  issue  of  blood, see  Mt.9 :  18-26 ;  for 
the  imprisonment  and  death  of  John  the  Baptist, 
see  Mk.  6 :  14-29 ;  for  the  feeding  of  the  5000,  see 
Mt.  14:  13-21 ;  for  Peter's  confession,  see  Mt.  16: 
13-27;  for  the  transfiguration,  see  Mk.  9:  1-7; 
for  curing  the  epileptic,  see  Mt.  17:  14-20.] 

Greatest  in  the  Coming  Kingdom  (9:  46-48 ;  Mt.  18 : 
1-14;  Mk.  9:33-50). — With  the  idea  of  a  political  kingdom 
soon  to  be  established  by  Jesus,  their  discussion  was  that 
of  worldly  ambition  and  self-seeking  interest  which  still 
too  frequently  has  a  prominent  place  in  the  modern 
Church.  It  may  have  started  with  Judas,  who  regarded 
himself  as  a  little  better  than  the  rest,  being  of  Judsea,  or 
Andrew  might  have  thought  that  the  place  of  the  highest 
honor  belonged  to  him,  since  he  was  the  first  that  was 
called  into  Christ's  discipleship,  or  Peter  because  he  was 
usually  the  spokesman  for  the  apostles,  or  John  because 
he  appeared  to  be  the  favorite  with  the  Prince. 

This  was  the  opportunity  for  Christ  to  affirm  the 
primacy  of  Peter,  if  ever  such  a  thing  was  intended,  but 
He  disavowed  any  primacy  whatsoever  and  instead  Pie 
emphasized  the  necessity  of  humility  and  unworldliness. 
Said  Alatthew  Henry,  *'Not  foolish,^-  nor  fickle,^"^  nor 
playful,  but  childlike  ;^^  as  children  we  must  desire  the 
sincere  milk  of  the  Word:^^  be  careful  for  nothing,  but 
leave  it  to  our  heavenly  Father  to  care  for  us  :^*^  be  harm- 
less and  inoffensive,  and  void  of  malice  :^'  governable  and 

""i  Cor.  14:  20.      "Mt.  II :  16  ^"Mt.  6:  31. 

"Eph.  4 :  14.  ^'i  Pet.  2 :  2.  "i  Cor.  14 :  20. 


Luke  4:  14  to  9:50.  193 

under  command  ;^^  and  what  is  here  chiefly  intended,  we 
must  be  humble  as  little  children." 


Blessed  Teacher,  to  be  taught  is  the  purpose  of  my  com- 
ing into  Thy  discipleship.  I  am  ignorant,  and  only  Thou 
canst  teach  me  to  be  humble  and  unworldly  as  a  little  child. 
Help  me  that  I  may  put  away  all  self-seeking  from  my 
heart  and  that  I  may  come  to  understand  that  only  Thou 
canst  break  the  bondage  of  all  guilt  and  lead  me  into  the 
freedom  of  perpetual  love.  I  sit  at  Thy  feet,  O  Thou 
great  Teacher  of  men,  and  ask  for  grace  that  I  may  prac- 
tice with  my  whole  heart  the  lessons  that  Thou  art  daily 
Amen. 


Questions. 

I.  Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 
beginning  of  this  diaper.  2.  Give  the  title  and  limit  of  the  second 
division.  3.  Name  the  chapters  of  this  division.  4.  What  of  the 
miracles  of  this  division?  5.  What  of  the  parables?  6.  What  of 
the  sermon  in  Nazareth  and  its  result?  7.  Give  His  text  (4:  18). 
8.  What  of  demons  ?  9.  What  was  the  law  concerning  the  cleans- 
ing of  a  leper  (5:  14;  Lev.  14:  1-32)  ?  10.  What  of  plucking  the 
grain  on  the  Sabbath?  11.  What  of  the  twelve  apostles?  12. 
What  of  their  commission?  13.  What  did  Jesus  teach  concerning 
kindness  only  to  those  who  are  kind  to  us  (6:  27-35)  ?  I4  What 
of  the  anointing  of  Jesus  by  a  penitent  woman?  15.  What  women 
are  named  as  ministering  unto  Him  (8:  1-3)  ?  16.  What  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  five  prayers  mentioned  in  this  division  (5:  16; 
6:12;  9:16,  18,  28)?  17.  What  the  circumstances  of  the  two 
references  to  His  death  in  this  division  (9:  22,  44)  ?  18.  What  of 
the  discussion  as  to  who  should  be  greatest?  19.  What  is  your 
prayer  in  the  light  of  this  message? 

^^Gal.  2,  4. 


LUKE. 

III.     The   Ministry  of   Jesus   in   Samaria,   Per^ea., 
JuD.EA  AND  Jerusalem. — 9:  51-21 :  38. 


"The  harvest  indeed  is  plenteous,  but  the  laborers  are  few : 
pray  ye  therefore  the  Lord  of  the  harvest,  that  He  send  forth 
laborers  into  His  harvest." — Jesus  to  the  Seventy  (10:2). 


"Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you ;  seek,  and  ye  shall  find ;  knock, 
and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you." — Jesus  (11:9). 


"Take  heed,  and  keep  yourselves  from  all  covetousness :  for  a 
man's  life  consisteth  not  in  the  abundance  of  the  things  which 
he  possesseth." — Jesus  (12:  15). 


"To  whomsoever  much  is  given,  of  him  shall  much  be  required 
and  to  whom  they  commit  much,  of  him  will  they  ask  the  more."— 
Jesus  (12:  48). 


"Whosoever  doth  not  bear  his  own  cross,  and  come  after  me, 
cannot  be  my  disciple  ....  So  therefore  whosoever  he  be 
of  you  that  renounceth  not  all  that  he  hath,  he  cannot  be  my  dis- 
ciple."— Jesus  (14:  27,  23)- 


"I  say  unto  you,  there  is  joy  in  the  presence  of  the  angels  of 
God  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth." — Jesus  (15:  10). 


"If  he  sin  against  thee  seven  times  in  the  day,  and  seven  times 
turn  again  to  thee,  saying,  I  repent;  thou  shalt  forgive  him." — 
Jesus  (17:  4). 


196 


LUKE. 

TIL     The    Ministry   of   Jesus    in    Samaria,    Per.ea, 
JuD^A  AND  Jerusalem. — 9:  51-21 :  38. 

There  are  five  miracles  in  this  third  division.  Two  are 
mentioned  in  Matthew  and  three  are  peculiar  to  Luke. 

Three  Miracles. — These  are :  ( i )  He  healed  a  woman, 
perhaps  of  paralysis,  on  the  Sabbath  in  a  synagogue,  per- 
haps in  one  of  the  towns  of  Judcea,  (mentioned  only  in  Lu. 
13:  10-17).  She  had  been  bound  by  this  infirmity  for 
eighteen  years.  It  may  have  been  a  case  of  demoniacal 
possession. 

The  woman  appears  to  show  no  act  of  faith.  The  Law  of 
the  Old  Testament  did  not  forbid  healing  on  the  Sabbath, 
but  the  traditions  of  the  rabbis  did. 

(2)  He  healed  a  man  of  dropsy  on  the  Sabbath,  per- 
haps in  Jerusalem  (mentioned  only  in  Lu.  14:  1-6).    After 


Markings. — Undermark,  9:51,  62;  10:18;  11:28;  12:8,  9,  22; 
13:  2,  24;  15:  10;  16:  II,  17,  31 ;  17:  21,  30;  18:  I,  8;  19:28,  40,  46; 
20:35;  21:  15,  24,  :^2)\  also  undermark  the  words  "Samaritans"  in 
9 :  52 ;  "seventy  others"  in  10 :  i ;  "thy  neighbor"  in  10 :  27 ;  "Mar- 
tha" in  10:  38;  "Mary"  in  10:  39;  "friend"  in  ii :  5;  "dumb"  in  11 : 
14;  "Beelzebub"  in  11 :  15;  "seven  others"  in  11 :  26;  "sign"  in  11 : 
29;  "lamp"  in  11:33;  "dine"  in  11:37;  "tithe  mint"  in  11:42; 
"lawyers"  in  11:46;  "Beware"  in  12:1;  "divide  the  inheritance" 
in  12:  13;  "rich  man"  in  12:  16;  "Consider  the  lilies"  in  12:27; 
"loins  be  girded"  in  12 :  35 ;  "unfaithful"  in  12 :  46 ;  "but  rather 
division"  in  12:51;  "interpret"  in  12:56;  "fig  tree"  in  13:6; 
"spirit  of  infirmity"  in  13:  ii;  "mustard  seed"  in  13:  19;  "leaven" 
in  13:21;  "fox"  in  13:32;  "O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem"  in  13:34; 
"sabbath"  in  14 :  i ;  "dropsy"  in  14 :  2 ;  "chief  seats"  in  14 :  7 ;  "bid 
the  poor"  in  14:  12;  "excuse"  in  14:  18;  "sheep"  in  15:4;  "silver" 
in  15:8;  "two  sons"  in  15:11;  "steward"  in  16:1;  "lovers  of 
money"  in  16:  14;  "clothed  in  purple"  in  16:  19;  "Lazarus"  in  16: 

197 


198  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

the  worship  of  the  Sabbath,  the  Jews  spent  the  day  in 
social  entertainments,  feastings  and  games,  but  anything 
resembHng  labor  was  forbidden. 

(3)  He  healed  ten  lepers  on  the  border  of  Samaria  and 
Galilee  (mentioned  only  in  Lu.  17:  11-19).  The  Old 
Testament  Law  required  that  the  leper  should  dwell  alone 
without  the  camp.^  The  law  of  the  rabbis  required  that 
they  stand  off  four  to  a  hundred  cubits.  The  nine,  adher- 
ing to  the  ritual,  disregarded  the  obligations  of  love,  while 
one  forgot  the  obligations  of  the  ritual  in  his  joy  to  express 
his  love  and  gratitude. 


20;  "great  gulf"  in  16:26;  "stumbling"  in  17:  i;  "ten  men"  and 
"lepers"  in  17:12;  "judge"  in  18:2;  "Pharisee"  and  "publican" 
in  18:  10;  "babes"  in  18:  15;  "one  thing  thou  lackest"  in  18:22; 
"blind  man"  in  18 :  35 ;  "Zacchaeus"  in  19:2;  "pounds"  in  19 :  13 ; 
"Bethphage"  in  19:29;  "colt"  in  19:30;  "wept  over  it"  in  19:41; 
"authority"  in  20 :  2 ;  "vineyard"  in  20 :  9 ;  "tribute"  in  20 :  22 ; 
"seven  brethren"  in  20:29;  "dead  are  raised"  in  20:37;  "David's 
son"  in  20:41;  "Beware"  in  20:46;  "gifts  into  the  treasury"  in 
21:1;  "temple"  in  21:5;  "wars"  in  21:9;  "earthquakes,"  "fam- 
ines," "pestilences"  in  21:11;  "shoot  forth"  in  21:30;  "watch" 
in  21 :  36. 

Mark,  10:24;  11:  13,  23;  12:7,  21,  2,2,  48;  13:  5,  28;  14:  n;  I5'. 
20,  32 ;  16 :  8,  18 ;  17:17;  18 :  14,  17 ;  19:9,  10,  26,  44 ;  20 :  25,  36 ; 
21 :  4,  7,  25. 

Personal  mark,  10:  20;  11:9;  12:  5,  15,  30,  31,  34,  40;  14:  27,  33; 
17 :  4,  10 ;  21 :  34. 

Mark  with  the  cross,  12 :  50 ;  13  :  32  ;  17  :  25 ;  18 :  32,  ZZ- 

Mark  with  the  cross  crowned,  12 :  37,  43;  17:  30;  21 :  27. 

Mark  with  P,  meaning  prayer,  10:2,  21;  11:  i;  18:  i,  11,  13. 

Names  of  the  chapters  of  the  third  division :  10 — The  Seventy 
Commissioned  and  the  Good  Samaritan;  11 — Prayer,  Signs  asked 
and  His  Enemies  Seek  to  Ensnare  Him ;  12 — Rich  Fool  and 
Watchfulness;  13 — Repentance,  Miracles  and  the  Narrow  Door; 
14 — Chief  Seats,  Excuses  and  Cross-bearing;  15 — The  Lost  Sheep, 
Silver  and  Son ;  16— The  Unrighteous  Steward^  and  the  Rich  Man 
and  Lazarus;  17 — The  Ten  Lepers  and  the  Coming  of  the  King- 
dom; 18— The  Pharisee,  the  Publican  and  the  Rich  Young  Man; 
19— Zacchasus  and  the  Pounds;  20 — A  Day  of  Conflict  with  the 
Chief  Priests,  Scribes,  Elders  and  Sadducees ;  21 — The  Widow's 
Mite  and  the  Signs  of  His  Second  Coming. 

^Lev.  13:46. 


Luke  9:51  to  21:38.  199 

Fifteen  Parables. — Of  the  nineteen  parables  men- 
tioned in  this  division,  four  are  mentioned  in  Matthew  and 
the  remaining  fifteen  are  peculiar  to  Luke: 

(i)  The  good  Samaritan  helping  the  man,  zvho  had 
fallen  among  robbers  (mentioned  only  in  Lu.  10:25-37), 
was  spoken  perhaps  in  Peraea,  where  His  ministry  must 
have  covered  three  or  four  months.  Because  of  the  fre- 
quent robberies  and  murders  on  the  eighteen-mile  road 
from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho,  it  was  called  "the  path  of 
blood."  Although  the  Old  Testament  Law  commanded 
mercy  to  one's  neighbor  and  even  the  beast,-  both  the 
priest  and  the  Levite,  who  was  a  subordinate  officer  in  the 
Temple,  disregarded  it.  The  Samaritan  paid  thirty-four 
cents,  which  was  equivalent  to  two  days'  wages  of  a 
laboring  man.  It  illustrated  that  whosoever  is  in  need  is 
one's  neighbor,  irrespective  of  race,  nation  or  religion, 
and  that  the  whole  hearted  practice  of  kindness  and  help 
evinces  more  clearly  a  righteous  spirit  than  the  observance 
of  forms  and  ceremonies. 

{2)  A  friend  coming  at  midnight  for  three  loaves  of 
bread  (mentioned  only  in  Lu.  11 :  5-13)  was  spoken  per- 
haps in  Judaea.  Instead  of  asking  for  one  loaf,  he  asked 
for  three,  implying  the  largeness  permitted  us  in  prayer. 
Delay  in  answer  to  prayer  is  caused  by  our  unreadiness  to 
receive  and  importunity  is  a  means  of  self  preparation.  It 
illustrated  intercessory  prayer,  that  as  a  selfish  man  will 
yield  to  his  neighbor's  request,  which  appears  to  be  even 
impudent,  much  more  will  the  Father,  out  of  love,  yield 
to  His  children's  earnest  appeals. 

(3)  The  rich  fool,  zvho  laid  up  treasures  for  himself 
(mentioned  only  in  Lu.  12:  13-21),  was  spoken  perhaps  in 
Peraea.    This  man  had  become  rich  like  others  by  the  gift 


=Ex.  23:4,  5;  Du.  22:1-4. 


200  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

of  God,  for  his  land  "brought  forth  plentifully."  Ambrose 
suggested  that  the  best  barns  are  ''the  bosoms  of  the  needy, 
the  houses  of  the  widows,  the  mouths  of  orphans  and 
infants."  In  this  unthinking  man  practicing  poverty 
toward  God,  Jesus  illustrated  the  sin  of  covetousness. 

(4)  The  marriage  feast,  where  the  guests  were  looking 
for  their  lord  (mentioned  only  in  Lu.  12:35-40),  was 
spoken  perhaps  in  Judaea.  The  Romans,  like  the  Greeks, 
divided  the  night  into  four  watches,  which,  after  the 
Roman  supremacy,  the  Jews  adopted.  The  first  was  from 
sunset  until  nine  o'clock,  the  second  was  until  midnight, 
the  third  was  until  cock-crowing,  or  three  o'clock,  and  the 
fourth  was  until  sunrise,  or  about  six  o'clock.  The  parable 
refers  to  the  second  advent  and  illustrated  the  necessity  of 
fidelity  to  duty  and  watchfulness. 

(5)  The  zvise  sfezvard,  who  zvas  set  over  the  household 
(mentioned  only  in  Lu.  12 :  42-48),  was  spoken  perhaps  in 
Judaea.  Like  the  preceding  parable,  it  likewise  refers  to 
the  second  advent  and  illustrated  that  judgment  will  be 
according  to  men's  opportunities  and  that  the  extent  of 
guilt  is  according  to  the  knowledge  of  the  sinner,  showing 
that  there  will  be  degrees  of  punishment. 

(6)  The  barren  fig  tree,  which  ivas  ordered  to  be  cut 
down  (mentioned  only  in  Lu.  13  16-9), was  spoken  perhaps 
in  Judaea.  Persons  are  not  merely  useless,  but  if  they  are 
not  fruit-bearing  they  are  doing  harm.  The  fruit  of  the 
Spirit  is  described  in  Gal.  5  :  22,  23.  It  illustrated  both  the 
long-suffering  of  the  Father  and  the  necessity  of  fruit- 
bearing  as  produced  by  repentance  toward  God,  or  there 
will  come  utter  destruction. 

(7)  The  great  supper,  about  zvhich  many  made  excuses 
(mentioned  only  in  Lu.  14:  15-24),  was  spoken  perhaps 
in  Judaea.     The  whole  Jewish  nation  was  then  invited 


Luke  9:51  to  21:38.  201 

into  the  Kingdom  of  God,  as  is  also  the  whole  world 
in  this  day.  Persons  do  not  come  to  Christ  because  they 
have  no  relish  for  spiritual  things.  It  illustrated  God's  in- 
vitation to  all  classes  and  the  folly  of  their  excuses,  and  it 
was  likewise  a  prophecy  of  the  rejection  of  the  Kingdom 
of  God  by  the  Jews  and  its  acceptance  by  the  Gentiles. 

(8)  The  woman  seeking  to  find  the  lost  coin  (men- 
tioned only  in  Lu.  15:8-10)  was  spoken  doubtless  in 
Peraea  and  illustrated  God's  ownership  of  the  soul,  the 
thoroughness  of  His  search  for  its  salvation  and  the  joy 
in  Heaven  over  its  return  to  the  Father. 

(9)  The  prodigal  son,  although  this  term  does  not  ap- 
pear in  the  narrative  (mentioned  only  in  Lu.  15:11-32), 
was  spoken  doubtless  in  Pera^a,  where  so  many  Jews  were 
wandering  away  from  God.  It  has  been  called  **the  Gos- 
pel in  the  Gospel"  and  "the  crown  and  pearl  of  all  para- 
bles." The  elder  son  represented  the  self-righteous  Phari- 
sees and  the  younger  son  represented  the  penitent  pub- 
licans and  harlots.  According  to  the  Old  Testament  Law, 
the  younger  son  received  only  half  as  much  as  the  elder.*^ 
The  demand  was  as  unfilial  as  it  was  illegal.  "'The  far 
country,"  said  Augustine,  "is  forgetfulness  of  God."  The 
husks  were  pods  of  the  carob  tree.  It  illustrated  the 
Father's  love  for  the  sinner  that  returns  and  discloses 
Divine  love  for  the  lost. 

(10)  The  unrighteous  steward,  who  made  friends 
by  a  dishonest  practice  with  his  Lord's  debtors  (men- 
tioned only  in  Lu.  16:  1-13),  was  spoken  perha])s  in 
Perasa.  A  measure  of  oil  was  nearly  six  gallons  and  was 
valued  at  several  hundred  dollars.  A  measure  of  wheat 
was  little  more  than  eleven  bushels,  and  the  amount  de- 
ducted would  be  about  a  hundred  dollars.     The  steward 

^Du.  21 :  17. 


202  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

was  dishonest.  His  wastefulness  was  sin  like  that  of  the 
prodigal  son.  The  lord  who  commended  the  steward  was 
not  Christ,  but  ''his  lord,"  who  commended  his  foresight. 
It  is  a  rebuke  to  covetousness  and  illustrated  that  we 
should  use  our  money,  of  which  we  are  only  trustees,  to 
make  a  true  friendship  with  the  Father,  that  we  may  be 
received  into  Heaven,  where  the  needy  shall  testify  to  the 
fidelity  of  our  stewardship. 

(ii)  The  rich  man  and  Lazarus  (mentioned  only  in 
Lu.  i6:  19-31)  was  spoken  perhaps  in  Peraea.  The  rich 
man,  sometimes  called  Dives,  a  LaLin  word  meaning  rich, 
is  nameless  here,  and  the  poor  man  is  named,  which  seems 
to  imply  the  inverted  order  of  things  in  the  spiritual  world. 
'Tndeed  my  lord,"  said  Edmund  Burke,  'T  doubt  whether 
in  these  hard  times,  I  would  give  a  peck  of  refuse  wheat 
for  all  that  is  called  fame  in  the  world."  Augustine  sug- 
gested that  Jesus  was  reading  from  the  book  of  life  in 
which  only  the  names  of  the  righteous  appear.  The  East- 
ern custom  was  to  recline  at  meals  and  each  guest  rested 
partly  upon  the  bosom  of  the  one  nearest  him.  This 
is  the  only  instance  in  the  Scriptures  of  prayers  to 
the  saints,  and  then  it  was  from  a  man  in  Hades. 
Fleshly  relationship  cannot  inherit  the  Kingdom  of  God, 
although  the  rabbis  taught  "all  the  circumcised  are  safe." 
The  self-reproach  of  a  condemning  memory  will  be  a  tor- 
ment. Unbelief  is  due,  not  to  a  lack  of  evidence,  but  to 
a  rebellious  heart,  and  the  supernatural  appearances  of 
the  dead,  as  maintained  by  spiritualism,  are  futile.  This 
parable,  like  the  preceding  one,  is  a  rebuke  to  covetous- 
ness and  illustrated  our  false  conception  of  the  possession 
of  riches  and  the  certainty  of  punishments  and  rewards 
after  death. 

(12)  The  servant,  zvho  only  did  his  duty  (mentioned 


Luke  9:51  to  21:38.  203 

only  in  Lii.  ly.  7-10),  was  spoken  perhaps  in  Perasa,  and 
illustrated  that  heavenly  reward  is  of  the  Father's  grace 
and  not  His  debt  to  us. 

(13)  The  unrighteous  judge,  who  feared  not  God 
nor  regarded  man  (mentioned  only  in  Lu.  18:  1-8),  was 
spoken  perhaps  in  Peraea.  Delaying  Divine  punishment 
upon  one,  who  has  wronged  a  believer,  is  not  the  Father's 
indifference,  but  rather  His  long-suffering  which  may  lead 
him  to  repent.  It  is  a  rebuke  against  half-heartedness  in 
our  petitions  and  it  illustrated  the  value  of  importunity 
in  prayer. 

(14)  The  Pharisee  and  publican,  ivho  prayed  in  the 
Temple  (mentioned  only  in  Lu.  18:9-14),  was  spoken 
perhaps  in  Peraea.  Standing  w^as  a  common  attitude  in 
prayer.'*  The  Old  Testament  Law  named  the  Day  of 
Atonement  as  the  only  Fast  in  the  year,  but  the  rabbis 
made  others  and  especially  Thursday,  when  it  was  said 
that  Moses  went  up  Mount  Sinai  and  Tuesday,  when  he 
was  said  to  have  come  down.  Tithing  was  required  in  the 
Old  Testament  Law."^  They  both  received  their  reward — 
the  Pharisee,  the  praise  of  men  which  he  desired  most, 
and  the  publican,  the  mercifulness  of  God,  which  w^as  his 
petition.  It  was  a  rebuke  to  self-righteousness,  and  it 
illustrated  the  necessity  of  humility  and  self-searching  in 
prayer. 

(15)  The  pounds,  zvhich  ivere  given  by  a  nobleman 
to  his  servants  (mentioned  only  in  Lu.  19:  11-27),  was 
spoken  in  the  house  of  Zacchaeus  in  Jericho.  It  was  cus- 
tomary for  those  who  had  any  claim  to  a  throne  in  a  tribu- 
tary kingdom  to  go  to  Rome  for  the  ratification  of  the 
claim.  A  pound  was  the  sixtieth  part  of  a  talent  or  about 
$20.00.     The  fruitfulness  of  our  work  is  by  Divine  grace. 


*i  Kgs.  8 :  22 ;  2  Ch.  6 :  12 ;  Mk.  11 :  25.     ''Lev.  27  :  30. 


204  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

That  which  one  does  not  use  he  really  does  not  have,  only 
appears  to  possess  it.  His  enemies  are  the  impenitent.  It 
illustrated  the  necessity  of  fidelity  to  our  God-given  obliga- 
tions ere  Christ  returns,  which  He  shows  would  not  be 
immediately. 

Unwelcomed  in  a  Samaritan  Village  (9:  51-56).— 
There  was  bitter  hostility  between  the  Jews  and  the 
Samaritans.  While  their  inhospitable  conduct  was  a  great 
indignity,  especially  in  the  Eastern  countries,  there  ap- 
pears here  the  clash  in  the  long  rivalry  between  the  w^or- 
ship  in  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem  and  that  on  Mount 
Gerizim.  Jesus  was  on  his  way  to  the  former,  and  we 
have  no  record  that  He  ever  visited  the  latter.  Like  Peter 
rebuking  Jesus  when  he  spoke  of  His  sufferings  and  later 
drawing  his  sword  in  defence  of  his  Master,  James  and 
John  evince  the  same  spirit,  showing  that  they  did  not  un- 
derstand that  the  principles  of  suffering,  patience  and  love 
were  the  principles  of  the  coming  Kingdom — a  lesson  that 
is  still  diificult  to  learn.  The  apostles  no  doubt,  had  in 
mind  Elijah's  course  to  the  messengers  of  King  Ahaziah.*^ 

The  Dead  Burying  Their  Dead  (9:57-62). — The 
man,  who  asked  to  bury  his  father  before  following  Jesus, 
is  the  center  of  three  cases:  The  first  offered  to  follow 
Him,  but  Jesus  discouraged  his  rashness ;  the  third  volun- 
teered to  oft'er  his  discipleship,  but  Jesus  rebuked  the  ir- 
resolute proposition;  the  second  is  called  by  Jesus  to 
leave  all  entanglement,  even  the  burying  of  his  dead,  which 
is  nothing  more  than  the  ordinary  call  that  comes  to  the 
soldier  in  battle,  who  dares  not  leave  his  post  to  bury  the 
dead  however  dear  they  may  be  to  him.  The  call  of  Jesus 
practically  is  to  let  those  who  are  spiritually  dead  look 
aftei^he  burying  of  the  physically  dead.  The  need  of 
'•2Kgs.  I. 


Luke  9:51  to  21:38.  205 

workers  in  the  Kingdom  of  God  is  paramount  over  every- 
thing else. 

The  Seventy  and  Their  Commission  (to:  1-20). — 
Following  upon  the  appointment  and  commission  of  the 
twelve  apostles  is  that  of  the  seventy  disciples,  whose  la- 
bors appear  not  to  be  confined  to  the  Jews  only  and  their 
commission  was  similar  to  that  given  to  the  twelve.  As 
the  twelve  had  reference  to  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  it 
is  possible  that  the  seventy  had  reference  to  the  seventy 
elders  in  Israel.'  Sometimes  Orientals  consumed  an  hour 
and  more  in  salutations  and  the  King's  business  demanded 
haste. 

Chorazin  was  situated  on  the  northern  shore  of  the  Sea 
of  Galilee  west  of  the  Jordan ;  Bethsaida,  sometimes  called 
Bethsaida  Julias,  was  situated  likewise  on  the  northern 
shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee  just  east  of  the  Jordan,  al- 
though there  appears  to  have  been  another  Bethsaida,  sit- 
uated on  the  northwest  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee  near 
the  border  of  the  plain  of  Gennesaret;  and  Capeniauni, 
likewise  a  city  of  the  northwest  shore  of  the  sea — all 
these  now  lie  in  ruins  and  their  very  foundation  sites  are 
in  dispute,  so  complete  is  their  destruction.  The  harbour 
district  of  Capernaum  was  called  Bethsaida,  which  means 
*'fisher-home." 

Satan  Fallen  from  Heaven  (10:  18). — This  was  a 
prophecy  of  the  casting  out  of  Satan  from  Heaven,  which 
was  accomplished  on  the  ascension  of  Christ  by  His  blood 
and  the  testimony  of  His  saints,  according  to  John,  who 
said :  "And  the  great  dragon  was  cast  down,  the  old 
serpent,  he  that  is  called  the  Devil  and  Satan,  the  deceiver 
of  the  whole  world ;  he  was  cast  down  to  the  earth,  and 
his  angels  were  cast  down  with  him.     And  I  heard  a  great 

^Ex.  24:  I ;  Nu.  II :  16, 


2o6  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

voice  in  Heaven,  saying,  Now  is  come  the  salvation,  and 
the  power,  and  the  kingdom  of  our  God,  and  the  author, 
ity  of  His  Christ:  for  the  accuser  of  our  brethren  is  cast 
down,  who  accuseth  them  before  our  God  day  and  night. 
And  they  overcame  Him  because  of  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb,  and  because  of  the  word  of  their  testimony ;  and 
thev  loved  not  their  life  even  unto  death.  Therefore  re- 
joice, O  Heavens,  and  ye  that  dwell  in  them.  Woe  for 
the  earth  and  for  the  sea :  because  the  devil  is  gone  down 
unto  you,  having  great  wrath,  knowing  that  he  hath  but 
a  short  time."^  The  victories  of  Christ's  disciples  over 
demons  were  also  prophecies  of  the  final  overthrow. 
Christ  was  demonstrating  His  competency  to  conquer. 

[For  the  discussion  of  the  prayer  that  Jesus 
taught  His  disciples,  see  Mt.  6:  9-15  ;  for  heaHng 
the  demoniac,  see  Mt.  12:  22,  23 ;  for  the  parable 
of  the  unclean  spirit,  see  Mt.  12  :  43-45.] 

His  Mother  and  His  Brethren  ( ii  :  27,  28 ;  8 :  20, 
21). — Christ  seemed  to  have  anticipated  the  hero-worship 
that  would  be  given  to  Mary  in  after  years  and  He  re- 
buked it  in  the  strongest  terms,  showing  that  all  true  dis- 
ciples are  on  equality  with  His  mother  and  His  brethren, 
she  holding  no  higher  post  of  honor  than  the  rest.  Like 
many  thought  of  Paul,®  the  enthusiasm  of  Jesus  led  many 
to  believe  that  He  was  beside  Himself — unreasonable,  even 
crazyi<^  and  Mary  and  His  brethren  had  so  little  under- 
standing of  His  mission  that  they  sought  to  get  Him  away 
from  the  crowd  and  stop  His  preaching.  Chrysostom  con- 
sidered Mary's  attempt  to  show  her  authority  as  "su- 
perfluous vanity"  and  "there  is  only  one  nobleness,  and 
that  is  to  do  the  will  of  God.  This  kind  of  noble  birth  is 
better  than  the  other,  and  more  real." 

'Rev.  12 :  g-i2.     ^\cts  26 :  24 ;  2  Cor.  5  :  13.     '°Mk.  3  :  21. 


Luke  9:51  to  21:38.  207 

The  Sign  of  Jonah  (11:29-32;  Mt.  12:38-42). — 
Their  request  for  a  sign  was  the  very  temptation  when 
Satan  proposed  that  Jesus  should  cast  Himself  down  from 
the  wing  of  the  Temple  and  Chrysostom  suggested  that 
they  wanted  Jesus  to  show  a  sign  from  heaven  in  stopping 
the  sun  or  reining  in  the  moon  or  hurling  down  thunder. 
Jesus  did  give  them  a  sign — His  death  and  resurrection — 
but  it  was  unlike  that  which  they  expected. 

The  miraculous  deliverance  of  Jonah  was  a  parable  of 
the  resurrection  of  Jesus.  .  With  a  clear  reference  to  the 
general  judgment,  Jesus  affirmed  that  the  people  of  that 
day  were  more  hard  hearted  than  the  heathen  Ninevites, 
who  repented  at  the  preaching  of  Jonah  without  his  work- 
ing any  miracles  before  them,  or  the  queen  of  Sheba,  who 
came  1000  miles,  from  the  extreme  borders  of  Arabia,  to 
hear  the  wisdom  of  Solomon.^^ 

[For  the  denunciation  of  the  Pharisees,  see 
Mt.  23.] 

The  Leaven  of  the  Pharisees  (12:  i). — Bread  was 
leavened  probably  by  means  of  a  lump  of  fermented 
dough,  which  when  concealed  in  a  larger  quantity  of 
dough  required  some  time  for  it  to  work  and  such  bread 
has  a  distinctly  sour  taste.  Yeast  is  almost  universally 
used  now  instead  of  leaven.  It  was  prohibited  for  use  in 
sacrifices  doubtless  because  of  its  fermentation  which  was 
of  a  putrifying  character.  According  to  Lightfoot,  it  was 
regarded  as  the  symbol  of  evil  among  the  rabbis  and  ac- 
cording to  Plutarch,  likewise  among  the  heathen  nations. 
While  the  term  "leaven"  is  now  used  to  express  a  general 
change  brought  about  by  the  inward  working  of  a  strong 
or  silent  influence  in  either  a  good  or  bad  sense,  yet  in  the 
New  Testament  this  term  was  onlv  used  with  the  idea  of 


'i  Kgs.  10:  1-13. 


2o8  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

cormption^-  as  expressed  here  in  reference  to   the  hy- 
pocrisy of  the  Pharisees. 

[For  the  anxiety  of  this  world,  see  Mt.  6: 
26-34 ;  concerning  the  slaughter  of  the  Galilaeans 
and  those  killed  in  the  falling  of  the  tower  of 
Siloam,  see  Jno.  9:3;  for  the  parables  of  the 
mustard  seed  and  the  leaven,  see  Mt.  13:  31-33- 
for  the  lost  sheep,  see  Mt.  18:  12,  13  ;  concerning 
divorce,  see  Mk.  10:2-12;  concerning  forgive- 
ness, see  Mt.  6:  12;  18:21-35;  for  signs  of  His 
coming,  see  Mt.  24.] 


O  Thou  Healer  of  souls,  purge  me  of  the  leaven  of 
hypocrisy  and  teach  me  the  holiness  of  sincerity,  frank- 
ness, honesty  and  courtesy.  Thou  hast  shown  me  the 
nobility  of  faith,  and  in  my  secret  moments  let  me  be  busy 
in  learning  the  principles  of  Thy  Kingdom,  fastening  them 
to  my  heart,  that  I  may  not  fail  in  practicing  them  when  I 
am  tested.  Open  my  eyes  to  the  sacred  trust  that  Thou 
hast  laid  upon  me,  and  let  me  know  that  all  fruitfulness  is 
the  work  of  Thy  grace,  for  I  am  only  a  steward  awaiting 
my  Lord's  return,  to  whom  belongs  my  affection  and  my 
life.    Amen. 


Questions. 

I.  Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter.  2.  What  the  title  and  limit  of  this 
division?  3.  Name  the  chapters.  4.  Give  an  account  of  the  three 
miracles  peculiar  to  Luke  in  this  division,  5.  Explain  the  three 
parables  in  this  division  on  prayer.  6.  The  three  on  covetousness. 
7.  The  three  on  the  second  advent.  8.  Explain  the  parables  of  the 
good  Samaritan,  the  fig  tree  and  the  great  supper.  9.  Explain  the 
parables  of  the  lost  coin,  the  prodigal  son  and  the  servant  who 
only  did  his  duty.  10.  Explain  His  being  unwelcomed  in  the 
Samaritan  village.  11.  Explain  the  meaning  of  the  dead  burying 
their   dead.      12.  What   of   the    seventy   and   their    commission? 

^^Gal.  5:9;  I  Cor.  5:6,  8. 


Luke  9:51  to  21:38.  209 

13.  Explain  the  reference  to  Satan  falling  from  Heaven.  14.  What 
of  His  mother  and  His  brethren?  15.  What  of  the  request  for  a 
sign?  16.  What  of  leaven?  17.  What  the  circumstances  of  the 
three  prayers  of  Jesus  in  this  division  (10:  2,  21 ;  11 :  i)  ?  18.  What 
is  the  promise  of  those  w^ho  confess  Him  and  the  warning  to  those 
who  deny  Him  (12:8,  9)  ?  19.  Does  a  man's  life  consist  in  His 
possessions  (12:15)?  20.  Why  then  do  you  act  as  though  it 
does?  21.  What  was  the  answer  of  Jesus  when  He  was  asked  if 
only  few  could  be  saved  (13 :  23-30)  ?  22.  What  the  lesson  in  His 
rebuke  to  those  who  chose  the  chief  seats  at  the  table  in  the 
Pharisee's  house  (14:  7-11)  ?  23.  What  rebuke  did  he  give  to  His 
host  (14:12-14)?  24.  What  was  His  requirement  for  disciple- 
ship  (14:33)?  25.  What  of  the  conditions  when  Christ  returns 
(17:22-37)  ?  26.  What  is  the  inference  of  the  question  in  18:8? 
27.  Explain  the  circumstances  of  His  four  references  in  this  divi- 
sion to  His  Passion  (12:50;  13:32,  33;  17:25;  18:32,  33)?  28. 
Give  an  account  of  the  conversion  of  Zacchasus  (19:1-10),  29. 
What  is  your  prayer  in  the  light  of  this  message? 


LUKE. 

IV.    The  Trial,  Crucifixion,  Resurrection  and  As- 
cension.— 22-24. 


"Touch  me  not ;  for  I  am  not  yet  ascended  unto  the  Father :  but 
go  unto  my  brethren,  and  say  to  them,  I  ascend  unto  my  Father 
and  your  Father,  and  my  God  and  your  God:'— Jesus  to  Mary 
Magdalene  (Jno.  20:  17). 


"All  hail.  .  .  .  Fear  not:  go  tell  my  brethren  that  they 
depart  into  Galilee,  and  there  shall  they  see  me."— Jesus  to  the 
other  Women  (Mt.  28:9,  10). 


"O  foolish  men,  and  slow  of  heart  to  believe  in  all  that  the 
prophets  have  spoken !  Behooved  it  not  the  Christ  to  suffer  these 
things,  and  to  enter  into  His  glory?" — Jesus  to  Cleopas  and  the 
other  Disciple  (24:  25). 


"Peace  be  unto  you :  as  the  Father  hath  sent  me,  even  so  send  I 
you." — Jesus  to  His  Disciples  (Jno.  20:21). 


"Reach  hither  thy  finger,  and  see  my  hands ;  and  reach  hither 
thy  hand,  and  put  it  into  my  side :  and  be  not  faithless,  but  beHev- 
ing." — Jesus  to  Thomas  (Jno,  20:  27). 


Lovest  thou  me?    .     .    .     Feed  my  sheep." — Jesus  to  Peter 
(Jno.  21:17). 


"Go  ye  therefore,  and  make  disciples  of  all  the  nations,  baptizing 
them  into  the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the 
Holy  Spirit:  teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I 
commanded  you:  and  lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto  the 
end  of  the  world."— Commmiow  of  Jesus  to  His  Disciples 
(Mt.  28:  19-20). 


312 


LUKE. 

IV.     The  Trial,  Crucifixion,  Resurrection  and  As- 
cension.— 22-24. 

The  one  remaining  miracle  in  the  book  of  Luke,  aside 
from  the  great  miracle  of  His  resurrection,  is  Jesus  heal- 
ing the  ear  of  Malchiis  (mentioned  only  in  Lu.  22  :  49-51), 
making  seven  miracles  peculiar  to  Luke.  John  men- 
tions the  cutting  off  of  the  ear  by  Peter  at  the  time  of  the 
arrest  of  Jesus  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane  and  tells  us 
that  the  man's  name  was  Malchus,  who  was  a  servant  to 
the  high  priest,  doubtless  Annas,^  but  only  Luke  tells  us 
of  the  healing  of  His  ear  by  the  touch  of  Jesus,  which 


Markings. — Undermark,  22:1,  32,  42;  23:21,  46;  24:2,  3,  26, 
34,  39,  48,  49,  52,  53;  also  undermark  the  words  "Satan  entered 
into  Judas"  in  22:3;  "guest-chamber"  in  22:  11;  "this  do  in  re- 
membrance of  me"  in  22:  19;  "greatest"  in  22:24;  "an  angel"  in 
22:43;  "Judas"  in  22:47;  "healed  him"  in  22:51;  "Peter  fol- 
lowed afar  off"  in  22:54;  "denied"  in  22:57;  "wept  bitterly"  in 
22 :  62 ;  "blindfolded"  in  22 :  64 ;  "their  council"  in  22  :  66 ;  "before 
Pilate"  in  23:1;  "Herod's"  in  23:7;  "mocked  him"  in  23:11; 
"Pilate"  in  23 :  13 ;  "weep  not  for  me"  in  23 :  28 ;  "malefactors"  in 
23  :  32 ;  "scoffed"  in  23  :  35 ;  "mocked"  in  23  :  36 ;  "remember  me 
when  thou  comest"  in  23 :  42 ;  "Joseph"  in  23 :  50 ;  "first  day  of  the 
week"  in  24 :  I ;  "Peter"  in  24 :  12 ;  "Emmaus"  in  24 :  13  ;  "Cleopas" 
in  24:  18. 

Mark,  22 :  27,  36;  23 :  14,  22,  25,  38,  43,  47,  55 ;  24:  10,  15,  44. 

Personal  mark,  23  :  34;  24:  32,  47,  48. 

Mark  with  the  cross,  22 :  15,  2>7  >  and  a  large  cross  at  23 :  2>Z- 

Mark  with  the  cross  crowned,  22 :  30;  23  :  42. 

Mark  with  P,  meaning  prayer,  22:  17,  19,  41,  44,  46;  23:34;  24: 
30,  50. 

Names  of  the  chapters  in  the  fourth  division:  22 — Judas'  Be- 
trayal, Peter's  Denial  and  the  Trial  Before  the  Sanhedrin;  23 — 
Trial  Before  Pilate  and  Herod,  and  the  Crucifixion ;  24 — Resur- 
rection, Walk  to  Emmaus,  the  Commission  and  the  Ascension. 

^John  18:  10,  II. 

213 


214  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

doubtless  saved  Peter  from  being  arrested,  if  not  killed,  by 
the  midnight  mob. 

[For  the  Passover,  see  Jno.  13-17;  for  the 
Lord's  Supper,  see  Mt.  26:  26-29;  for  the  arrest 
and  trial,  see  Mt.  26:  30-27:  38;  for  the  crucifix- 
ion and  burial,  see  Mk.  15  :  20-47.] 

The  Resurrection  of  Jesus  (24:  1-49;  Mt.  28:  1-17; 
Mk.  16:1-14;  Jno.  20:1-21:25).— The  Paschal  Sabbath, 
called  a  high  day,  or  a  great  day,  as  we  would  say  now, 
had  come  and  through  it  the  tired  and  wounded  body  of 
Jesus  had  rested  in  the  sepulchre  of  Joseph  of  Arimathaea 
and  the  first  day  of  the  week  was  henceforth  to  be  marked 
with  special  blessedness.  In  the  early  dawn,  doubtless 
to  be  concealed  by  the  darkness,  there  came  Mary  Mag- 
delene  and  Mary  the  mother  of  James  the  Less  and  Joses,'- 
Salome  the  mother  of  James  and  John,^  Joanna  the  wife  of 
Chuza,  Herod's  steward,*  and  other  women^  with  spices  to 
complete  the  embalmment ;  besides  it  appears  to  have  been 
a  Jewish  custom  for  the  friends  of  the  dead  to  visit  the 
tomb  for  three  days  after  the  burial. 

It  was  the  third  day,  or,  as  the  Jews  termed  it,  three 
days — a  part  of  Friday,  all  of  Saturday  and  a  part  of  the 
first  day  of  the  v\^eek.  The  Babylonians  counted  a  day  from 
sunrise  to  sunrise,  the  Romans  from  midnight  to  mid- 
night, and  the  Jews,  like  the  Athenians,  counted  a  day 
from  one  sunset  to  another,^  so  that  the  Sabbath  began  at 
sunset  of  Friday  and  ended  at  sunset  of  Saturday.  They 
found  the  stone  rolled  away  and  Mary  Magdelene,  believ- 
ing that  the  tomb  had  been  rifled,  appears  to  have  left  the 
other  women  and  hastened  grief-stricken  to  inform  Peter 

'JJu^^^'S^-  IV'- ^-•^-  ^Lev.  23:32. 

'Mk.  16:  I.  'Ln.  24:  10. 


Luke  22  to  24.  215 

and  John  saying,  'They  have  taken  away  the  Lord  out  of 
the  tomb,  and  we  know  not  where  they  have  laid  Him." 

The  other  women  appear  to  have  remained  at  the  tomb 
and  they  saw  the  angel  sitting  upon  the  stone,  symboliz- 
ing complete  victory  over  death,  and  he  said  to  them: 
"Fear  not  ye :  for  I  know  that  ye  seek  Jesus,  who  hath  been 
crucified.  He  is  not  here,  for  He  is  risen,  even  as  He  said. 
Come,  see  the  place  where  the  Lord  lay :  and  go  quickly 
and  tell  His  disciples.  He  is  risen  from  the  dead ;  and  lo. 
He  goeth  before  you  into  Galilee:  there  shall  ye  see  Him: 
lo,  I  have  told  you."  Mark  added  "tell  Peter, '"^  and  they 
fled  from  the  tomb  in  fear  and  joy^  and  said  nothing  to 
anyone  on  the  way.^ 

On  the  information  from  Mary  Magdelene,  Peter  and 
John  went  running  to  the  tomb  and  they  found  not  only 
the  stone  removed  from  the  door  and  the  tomb  empty,  but 
the  linen  cloths,  in  which  the  body  had  been  wrapped, 
lying  in  the  tomb  and  the  napkin,  which  had  been  bound 
around  His  head,  rolled  up  in  a  place  by  itself.^"  Besides 
the  vacant  tomb,  the  empty  cerements,  which  would  have 
been  taken  away  if  the  body  had  been  removed  by  friends 
or  enemies,  deepened  their  perplexity  and  Peter  and  John 
returned  to  their  home,  but  Mary  Magdelene,  who  ap- 
pears not  to  have  kept  up  with  the  two  apostles  in  their 
race,  returned  and  stood  by  the  tomb  weeping,  when  look- 
ing through  her  tears  in  upon  the  spot  where  they  had 
laid  the  body  on  Friday  afternoon,  she  saw  two  angels  who 
said,  ''Woman,  why  weepest  thou?"  and  she  said,  "Be- 
cause they  have  taken  away  my  Lord  and  I  know  not 
where  they  have  laid  Him," 

Then  as  if  by  a  gesture  from  the  angels,  Mary  turned 
and  saw  one  standing  back  of  her,  who  she   supposed 

'Mk.  16 :  7.     «Mt.  28 :  8.     ''Mk.  16 :  8.      '''John  20 :  1-8. 


2i6  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

was  the  gardener  and  He  repeated  the  question  to  her, 
•'Woman  why  weepest  thou?  Whom  seekest  thou," 
Mary  repHed,  '^Sir,  if  Thou  hast  borne  Him  hence,  tell  me 
where  Thou  hast  laid  Him  and  I  will  take  Him  away,"  as 
though  those,  who  she  supposed  had  removed  the  body,  did 
not  care  to  be  troubled  with  it.  Jesus,  in  that  familiar  accent 
that  had  so  frequently  greeted  her  ear,  said,  "Mary,"  and 
she  in  turn  said,  ''Rabboni,"  meaning  ''Our  Teacher;'  and 
as  said  Bernard,  ''Love  knows  no  reverence"  and  Mary, 
as  of  old,  fell  at  His  feet  with  adoration  and  perhaps  at- 
tempted to  kiss  His  feet,  as  she  had  done  when  before  His 
crucifixion,  she  anointed  them  with  the  ointment,  but 
Jesus  said  to  her,  'Take  not  hold  on  me ;  for  I  am  not  yet 
ascended  unto  the  Father,  but  go  unto  my  brethren  and 
say  to  them,  I  ascend  unto  my  Father  and  your  Father, 
and  my  God  and  your  God,"  and  Mary  told  the  disciples 
that  she  had  seen  the  Lord,^'^  which  is  thus  beautifully  told 
by  John  Newton : — 

"Mary  to  the  Saviour's  tomb 

Hastened  at  the  early  dawn ; 
Spice  she  brought,  and  sweet  perfume ; 

But  the  Lord  she  loved  had  gone. 
For  a  while  she  ling'ring  stood, 

Fill'd  with  sorrow  and  surprise ; 
Trembling,  while  a  crystal  flood 

Issued  from  her  weeping  eyes. 

"Jesus,  who  is  always  near. 

Though  too  often  unperceived, 
Came  her  drooping  heart  to  cheer, 

Kindly  asking  why  she  griev'd. 
Though  at  first  she  knew  Him  not, 

When  He  call'd  her  by  her  name, 
She  her  heavy  griefs  forgot 

For  she  found  Him  still  the  same. 


^John  20:  11-18;  Mk.  16:  9. 


Luke  22  to  24.  ^17 

"And  her  sorrows  quickly  fled, 

When  she  heard  His  welcome  voice ; 
Christ  had  risen  from  the  dead, 

Now  He  bids  her  heart  rejoice. 
What  a  change  His  word  can  make — 

Turning  darkness  into  day ! 
You  who  weep  for  Jesus'  sake, 

He  will  wipe  your  tears  away." 

While  the  women  were  going  on  their  message  with  the 
announcement  of  joy  they  met  Jesus,  who  said  to  them, 
''All  hail/'  and  they  worshipped  Him  and  He  repeated  the 
message  of  the  angel  to  them.^"  At  the  same  time,  some 
of  the  guard  hastened  to  the  chief  priests  and  told  them 
of  the  earthquake,  the  rolling  away  of  the  stone  and  the 
sudden  disappearance  of  the  body  of  Jesus  without  the 
touch  of  human  hands.  A  secret  meeting  of  the  San- 
hedrin  was  called  and  they  decided  to  pay  the  soldiers 
much  money,  saying,  ''Say  ye,  His  disciples  came  by  night 
and  stole  Him  away  while  we  slept,"  and  pledging  that, 
if  the  matter  came  up  ofificially  before  Pilate  they  would 
defend  them,  and  this  was  believed  by  many  Jews  for 
centuries  after. 

On  the  same  day  Jesus  appeared  to  the  two  disciples  on 
the  way  to  Emmaus,  whose  site  is  uncertain,  there  being 
three  places  in  Palestine  by  that  name,  but  it  is  generally 
supposed  to  be  southwest  of  Jerusalem  about  seven  or 
eight  miles.  A  furlong  was  one-eighth  of  a  mile.  Cleopas 
was  the  husband  of  Mary,^^  who  was  the  mother  of  James 
the  Less  and  Joses,^*  and  he  was  sometimes  called  Al- 
phaeus.^"  The  other  disciple  is  supposed  to  have  been 
Luke.  They  affirmed  that  certain  women  said  that  they 
had  seen  a  vision  of  angels,  who  said  that  Jesus  was  alive 
and  that  certain  of  the  disciples  went  to  the  tomb  and 


^Mt.  28 :  19,  20.     '7ohn  19 :  25.     "Mk.  15  :  40.     ''Mt.  10 :  3. 


2i8  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

found  it  empty,  but  they  did  not  see  Jesus/«  indicating 
that  the  two  disciples  left  Jerusalem  after  the  message 
from  the  women  and  after  the  return  of  the  visit  of  Peter 
and  John  to  the  tomb,  but  before  the  testimony  of  Mary 
Magdelene  had  become  known. 

Jesus  showed  to  the  two  disciples  that  suffering  was 
necessary  for  the  fulfilment  of  the  Messianic  prophecy,^^ 
and  it  must  not  be  overlooked  that  the  believer  meets  the 
Messiah  on  the  path  of  suffering, 

"For  whom  the  Lord  loveth  he  chasteneth, 
And  scourgeth  every  son  whom  He  receiveth."^* 

Paul  said,  *To  you  it  hath  been  granted  in  the  behalf  of 
Christ,  not  only  to  believe  on  Him,  but  also  to  suffer  in 
His  behalf ;'^^  "for  hereunto  we  are  appointed."-^ 

"For  love's  strength  standeth  in  love's  sacrifice, 
And  whoso  suffers  most  hath  most  to  give." 

On  the  invitation  of  the  two  disciples,  Jesus  sat  down 
with  them  for  a  meal.  He  took  the  bread  and  blessed  it, 
and  breaking  it,  He  gave  it  to  them,  and  their  eyes  were 
opened,  for  *'His  prayer  revealed  Him."  The  Roman 
Catholic  Church  regards  this  as  a  celebration  of  the  Lord's 
Supper,  and  from  it  argues  that  only  bread  should  be  dis- 
tributed to  the  laity.  Not  only  is  there  no  evidence  that 
this  was  the  Lord's  Supper,  but  if  the  distribution  of  bread 
was  intended  only  for  the  laity,  then  the  absence  of  wine 
would  be  a  prohibition  of  its  use  for  priests  as  well  as  the 
laity.  Years  after  this,  when  Jesus  gave  instructions  to 
Paul  concerning  the  Lord's  Supper  He  mentioned  both  the 
bread  and  wine  for  all  the  disciples.-^ 

"Lu.  24 :  22-24.       "Prov.  3:11;  Heb.  12  :  6.        ="1  Thess.  3  :  3. 
"Isa.53.  "Phil.  1:29.  -I  Cor.  11723-29. 


Luke  22  to  24.  219 

The  two  disciples  hurried  back  to  Jerusalem  to  tell  the 
glad  tidings,  and  they  found  the  apostles  gathered  to- 
gether talking  of  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  and  His  ap- 
pearance to  Peter.  While  they  were  speaking,  Jesus  re- 
vealed Himself,  standing  among  them,  and  He  showed 
them  the  wounds  in  His  hands  and  feet  and  reaffirmed  His 
promise  to  Peter-^ — making  five  appearances  on  that  day. 
A  week  later  he  appeared  to  the  apostles  again,  signifi- 
cantly as  if  to  emphasize  the  holiness  of  the  first  day  of 
the  week,  which  John  called  "the  Lord's  Day,"-^  and  this 
appearance  seems  to  have  been  for  the  sake  of  Thomas, 
''like  the  shepherd  seeking  the  lost  sheep."-'*  Then  He  ap- 
peared to  the  seven  on  the  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,-^ 
when  they  thought  that  He  was  some  stranger  skilled  in 
fisher-craft,  and  then  followed  that  remarkable  conversa- 
tion with  Peter,  whom  He  called  by  the  old  name  of 
Simon,  for  at  that  time  the  power  had  not  come  upon 
Peter  to  make  him  a  rock. 

Jesus  did  not  question  Peter's  faith,  but  He  dealt  with 
his  love,  which  was  based  on  faith,  and  must  prove  itself 
by  service.  His  three  questions  appear  to  szveep  the  zvhole 
personality  of  Peter — the  intellect,  the  will  and  the  affec- 
tions, calling  for  absolute  surrender.  His  three  com- 
mands sweep  the  whole  Held  of  Christian  service — nourish 
my  lambs,  those  who  have  never  wandered  away ;  care  for 
the  whole  flock ;  and  herd  my  sheep,  restoring  those  who 
have  got  out  of  line  and  perhaps  fallen  by  the  wayside. 
There  were  three  questions  and  three  commands,  and 
three  times  Peter  denied  Him.  Godet  remarked  that 
Peter  was  first  called  to  serve  after  a  draught  of  fishes; 
after  a  similar  draug^ht  he  is  restored.     He  lost  his  office 


"Mt.  16 :  18,  19.        -"John  20 :  26-29. 
^Rev.  1 :  10.  -^John  21 :  1-14. 


220 


Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 


by  his  denial  beside  a  fire  of  coals ;  beside  a  fire  of  coals 
he  received  it  again. 

Then  he  appeared  to  the  eleven  on  a  mountain  in  Galilee, 
and  Paul  tells  us  that  He  appeared  to  more  than  five  hun- 
dred brethren  at  once,  also  to  His  half -brother  James,  and 
then  to  all  the  apostles  as  He  ascended  from  the  Mount 
of  Olives,-^  and  Paul  affirmed  tlvat  He  appeared  to  him 
last  of  alV 

The  mightiest  fact  in  the  religion  of  Jesus  is  His  resur- 
rection from  the  dead.  He  was  laid  in  the  tomb  as  a  phy- 
sical body ;  He  arose  as  a  spiritual  body,  as  Paul  says  of  all 
believers-'' — not  a  mere  spirit,  but  a  spiritual  body.  His 
identity  was  not  known  to  Mary  Magdelene  until  He 
called  her  by  name ;  to  the  two  disciples  until  He  prayed ; 
to  the  eleven  apostles  until  He  showed  them  His  wounds, 
and  to  the  seven  until  He  worked  a  miracle  similar  to  that 
in  His  ministry  before  His  crucifixion.  His  body  was  not 
subject  to  the  laws  that  govern  material  things.  The  mul- 
titudes saw  the  apostles  and  other  disciples,  but  no  one  of 
them  saw  Jesus  as  He  walked  with  the  apostles  and  dis- 
ciples, because  He  was  invisible  to  the  physical  eye.  His 
was  a  spiritual  body,  which  was  visible  only  to  those  who 
had  spiritual  visions  or  who  saw  spiritually,  as  Paul  said 
of  the  believer.^®  The  change  was  great,  yet  His  identity 
was  so  perfect  that  Thomas  said  to  him,  "My  Lord  and 
my  God." 

"He  is  risen !    He  is  risen ! 

Tell  it  with  a  joyful  voice, 
He  has  burst  His  three-days'  prison, 

Let  the  whole  wide  earth  rejoice; 
Death  is  vanished,  man  is  free, 

Christ  has  won  the  victory." 


''Lu.  24 :  50-52 ;  Acts  i :  12.     '"i  Cor.  15  :  44. 
""i  Cor.  15:4-8.  29 J  co^  2:  14. 


Luke  22  to  24.  221 

The  Commission  to  the  Whole  Church  (24:  47,  48 ; 
Mt.  28:  18-20;  Mk.  16:  15,  16;  Jno.  20:21). — First  to  the 
twelve,  then  to  the  seventy  and  last  Christ  gave  His  com- 
mission to  the  whole  Church,  and  no  command  has  pre- 
eminence over  it.  It  includes  love  to  the  Father  and  all 
nations  and  obedience  to  Jesus.  It  is  the  great  com- 
mand He  gave  after  His  resurrection  from  the  dead.  It 
must  be  obeyed.  We  have  no  alternative.  It  is  given  in 
all  four  Gospels  and  is  reaffirmed  in  Acts.-*^^  Because  of 
the  authority  given  to  Him  in  Heaven  and  on  earth,  the 
command  is  "Go"  and  the  task  is  to  *'make  disciples  of  all 
the  nations,  baptizing  them  into  the  name  of  the  Father 
and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  teaching  them  to 
observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  commanded  you,"  and  the 
promise  is,  "lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto  the  end 
of  the  world."^^  In  Mark  the  command  is,  "Go  ye  into  all 
the  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to  the  whole  creation," 
and  the  promise  is,  "He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall 
be  saved,"  with  signs  following  them,^-  which  are  recorded 
in  the  book  of  Acts. 

Luke  mentions  "that  repentance  and  remission  of  sins 
should  be  preached  in  His  name  unto  all  the  nations,  be- 
ginning from  Jerusalem,"  but  they  were  further  com- 
manded, "Tarry  ye  in  the  city  until  ye  be  clothed  with 
power  from  on  high,"^^  and  they  were  clothed  with  Divine 
power  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,^*  when  the  Holy  Spirit 
descended  for  His  great  mission  on  the  earth.^^  John 
quotes  Jesus  as  saying,  "As  the  Father  hath  sent  me,  even 
so  send  I  you,"^^  making  the  work  of  world-wide  evan- 
gelization identical  with  that  of  Jesus.  It  is  the  chief 
business  of  the  Church — "This  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom 


"Acts  1 :  8.  ''Lu.  24 :  49.  ''John  20:21. 

'Mt.  28 :  18-20.  '*Acts  2. 

'Mk.  16:  15,  16.         '"John  16:8-11. 


222  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

shall  be  preached  in  the  whole  world  for  a  testimony  unto 
all  the  nations/'^''    If  one  would  have  part  in  His  suffer- 
ings, in  His  death  and  in  His  resurrection,  he  must  have 
part  in  the  supreme  mission  of  His  rehgion. 
[For  the  ascension,  see  Acts  1:9-11.] 


O  Thou  Searcher  of  hearts,  give  to  me  a  larger  spiritual 
vision,  that  I  may  see  myself  with  faultless  eye,  so  that  I 
may  get  away  from  every  sin,  and  grant  to  me  a  spiritual 
consciousness  so  sensitive  that  I  shall  know  that  Thou  art 
with  me  in  my  daily  rounds  wdien  I  am  harassed  and  bur- 
dened and  tempted.  Set  me  to  be  a  witness  for  Thee  every 
day,  and  let  me  be  contented  to  stand  at  whatever  post 
Thou  shalt  put  me,  and  Thy  presence  shall  be  my  consola- 
tion, and  I  shall  give  praise  and  thanksgiving  to  Thy  Name 
when  I  shall  awake  in  Thy  likeness  through  the  merits  of 
Thy  love  and  grace.    Amen. 


Questions. 


I.  Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter.  2.  What  the  title  and  limit  of  this 
division.  3.  Name  the  chapters  of  this  division.  4.  Explain  the 
one  miracle  of  this  division.  5.  Give  Luke's  account  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  (22:19,  20).  6.  What  was  Jesus'  prayer  for  Peter 
(22:  31,  32)  ?  7.  What  of  the  early  visit  to  the  tomb?  8.  What 
of  the  five  appearances  on  the  first  day?  9.  Explain  fully  the 
conversation  of  Jesus  with  the  two  disciples.  10.  Was  the  supper 
at  Emmaus  the  observance  of  the  Lord's  Supper?  11.  What  of 
the  other  appearances?  12.  Explain  the  conversation  of  Jesus 
with  Peter  on  the  shore  of  the  Sea  of  GaHlee.  13.  What  of  the 
body  of  His  resurrection?  14.  What  of  the  commission  to  the 
whole  Church?  15.  Explain  the  commission  as  given  by  each 
Gospel.  16.  What  of  our  obligation  to  its  obedience?  17.  What 
of  His  ascension  (24:50-53)?  18.  What  is  your  prayer  in  the 
light  of  His  resurrection  ? 

""Mt.  24:14. 


JOHN. 

From  the  Beginning  and  on  to  His  Second  Pass- 
over.— 1-4. 


"In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God, 
and  the  Word  was  God."— John  (i :  i). 


"As  many  as  received  Him,  to  them  gave  He  the  right  to  become 
children  of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe  on  His  Name."— /o/i« 
(i:i2). 


"I  am  the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness,  Make  straight 
the  way  of  the  Lord."— John  the  Baptist  (i :  23). 


"Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh  away  the   sin  of  the 
world!" — John  the  Baptist  to  his  Disciples  (i :  29). 


"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  Except  one  be  born  of  water 
and  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  God." — Jesus 
to  Nicodcmus  (3:5). 


"He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  eternal  life,  but  he  that 
obeyeth  not  the  Son  shall  not  see  life,  but  the  wrath  of  God 
abideth  on  him. — Jesus  (3  :  36). 


"I  that  speak  unto  thee  am  He."— Jesus  to  the  Woman  of  Sama- 
ria (4:  26). 


"My  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  me,  and  to  accom- 
plish His  work." — Jesus  (4:34). 


224 


JOHN. 

I.    From  the  Beginning  and  on  to  His  Second  Pass- 
over.— 1-4. 

The  Book. — Of  all  the  Gospels  that  which  is  most  loved 
is  the  Gospel  of  John.  Origen  said,  "It  is  the  consumma- 
tion of  the  Gospels  ;"  Luther  called  it  "the  master-Gospel  ;'* 
Farrar  said,  "It  is  the  Gospel  of  the  incarnation ;"  Wescott 
said,  "It  is  the  Gospel  of  the  sevenfold  witness  of  Christ," 
for  in  this  Gospel  is  the  witness  of  the  Father  that  Jesus 
is  the  Christ,^  the  witness  of  the  Son,-  the  witness  of  His 
works,^  the  witness  of  the  Scriptures,*  the  witness  of  the 
forerunner,^  the  witness  of  the  disciples^  and  the  witness 
of  the  Spirit.'^ 

While  no  direct  mention  is  made  of  the  birth  from  a 
virgin  in  Bethlehem,  yet  it  is  John's  Gospel  that  says  "the 
Word  became  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us,"*  and  freeing 
himself  from  local  habitations,^  John  set  forth  in  the  sub- 

Markings.— Undermark,  i :  1-4,  29 ;  2  :  13 ;  3:5,  23,  30;  4:4,  23, 
24,  26,  43 ;  also  undermark  the  words  "John"  in  1:6;  "Word  be- 
came flesh"  in  i  :  14;  "witness  of  John"  in  i :  19;  "voice"  in  i :  23; 
"Spirit"  in  1:32;  "Andrew"  in  1:40;  "Peter"  in  1:42;  "Galilee" 
and  "Philip"  in  i :  43 ;  "Nathanael"  in  i :  44 ;  "Cana"  in  2:1; 
"overthrew  their  tables"  in  2:  15;  "Nicodemus"  in  3:1;  "into  the 
land  of  Judaea"  in  3 :  22 ;  "Jacob's  well"  in  4 :  6  ;  "nobleman  whose 
son"  in  4 :  46. 

Mark,  i :  34 ;  3  :  18 ;  4 :  36. 

Personal  mark,  i :  12;  3 :  7,  16,  36;  4:  34. 

Mark  with  the  cross,  2:  19;  3:  14,  15. 

Divisions. — This  book  is  divided  as  follows:  I.  Frorn  the  Be- 
ginning and  on  to  His  Second  Passover,  1-4;  II.  From  His  Second 

'John  5  :  34,  37 ;  8 :  18.  *John  15  :  27 ;  19 :  35- 

7ohn  8 :  14 ;  18 :  37.  'John  15  :  26 ;  16 :  14. 

^John  10 :  25 ;  5  :  36.  *John  i :  14. 

'John  5  :  39-46.  "John  4 :  21-24. 
"John  1 :  7 ;  5  :  35-  225 


226  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

limest  thought  the  person  of  Jesus  until  the  Holy  One 
fills  not  only  the  Book,  but  is  the  center  of  the  whole  drama 
in  a  sense  that  becomes  distinctively  personal  to  us  all. 
John  apparently  ignores  the  temptation,  the  death  of  John 
the  Baptist,  the  transfiguration,  the  instituting  of  the 
Lord's  Supper,  the  agony  in  the  garden,  the  trial  before 
the  Sanhedrin  and  the  ascension.  He  mentions  only  eight 
miracles,  and  six  of  these  are  found  only  in  John,  and  he 
mentions  no  parables,  but  none  of  the  Gospels  so  skilfully 
makes  Jesus  the  living  and  loving  Redeemer  of  mankind 
as  John.  Alexander  B.  Bruce  said  that  while  in  the  Syn- 
optics the  Lord's  chief  motive  was  pitifulness  over  human 
need,  on  the  other  hand  the  obvious  purpose  of  His  "signs" 
in  the  fourth  Gospel  was  to  call  attention  to  His  own  per- 
son and  claim,  our  human  love  and  veneration.  In  closing 
John  sums  up  the  purpose  of  His  Gospel  in  these  words, 
'These  are  written  that  ye  may  believe  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God;  and  that  believing  ye  may  have 
life  in  His  Name."^^ 

The  chronology  of  the  life  of  Jesus  rests  almost  entirely 
upon  the  book  of  John.  In  two  dozen  instances  he  gives 
the  exact  time  of  events.  It  was  among  the  least  disputed 
of  the  sacred  documents  until  the  seventeenth  century, 
and  since  that  time  a  severe  but  fruitless  war  has  been 
waged  against  it,  but  its  claim  to  genuineness  and  definite 
authorship  is  beyond  question.  All  of  the  Gospels  were 
written  anonymously  and  their  titles  were  attached  later, 
but  that  does  not  aflfect  their  claim  in  the  least. 

to  His  Fourth  and  Last  Passover,  5-12;  III.  The  Last  Supper  and 
the  Resurrection,  and  Jesus  Asking  Peter  for  His  Love,  13-21. 

Names  of  the  chapters  of  the  first  division :  i— The  Word  and 
the  Lamb ;  2— At  Cana  in  GaHlee,  and  Jesus  goes  up  to  the  Pass- 

^^^''i  ,^^i^r,"^^^^"^ '  3— Nicodemus  and  the  New  Birth:  4— x\t 
Jacob  s  Well. 

^"John  20:31. 


John  i  to  4.  227 

Irenseus  of  the  second  century  affirmed  that  the  Old 
Testament  and  the  four  Gospels  were  regarded  as  "The 
Scriptures,"  and  he  made  five  hundred  citations  from  the 
four  Gospels,  of  which  one  hundred  were  from  John. 
Continuing,  he  said,  ''John,  the  disciple  of  the  Lord,  who 
also  had  leaned  upon  His  breast,  did  himself  publish  a 
Gospel  during  his  residence  at  Ephesus  in  Asia,"  and 
Alford  fixed  the  date  of  its  writing  about  70-85  A.  D. 
Eusebius  preserved  the  tradition  of  Clement  "that  John, 
divinely  moved  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  wrote  a  spiritual  Gos- 
pel on  observing  that  the  things  obvious  to  the  senses  had 
been  set  forth  in  earlier  Gospels."  The  Muratorian  Frag- 
ment, which  was  one  of  the  earliest  attempts  to  give  a  list 
of  the  books  of  the  New  Testament,  states  that  John  wrote 
his  Gospel  because  he  was  urged  to  do  so  by  Andrew  and 
other  apostles;  be  that  as  it  may,  Robert  Browning  has 
appropriately  said, — 

"There  is  left  on  earth 
No  one  alive  who  knew  (consider  this)  — 
Saw  with  his  eyes  and  handled  with  his  hands 
That  which  was  from  the  first,  the  Word  of  Life ; 
How  will  it  be  when  none  more  sayeth,  "I  saw  ?' " 

The  section  of  the  adulteress,^^  which  no  doubt  is  abso- 
lutely true,  is,  however,  an  interpolation  like  Mark  16 : 9- 
20,  and,  like  that  in  Mark,  it  was  probably  taken  from  the 
works  of  the  presbyter  Ariston,  but  the  book,  which  is  the 
fourth  biography  of  Jesus,  is  the  work  of  a  remarkably 
gifted  man,  who  wrote  in  excellent  Greek,  bearing  some- 
what the  influence  of  Oriental  phraseology. 

Tradition  affirms  that  John,  like  Paul,  dictated  all  his 
writings.  One  of  the  early  pictures  shows  a  cloud  in  the 
upper  right-hand  corner  of  the  canvas,  from  which  a  hand 


"John  7:53;  8:  II. 


228  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

comes  forth  pointing  to  John,  symbolizing  the  hand  of  the 
Lord,  and  rays  of  light  coming  from  the  cloud,  symboliz- 
ing the  Spirit  of  God  illuminating  the  scene.  The  apos- 
tle is  standing  as  though  he  were  attentively  listening,  with 
one  hand  uplifted,  affirming  that  he  heard  the  message, 
and  with  the  other  hand  he  points  to  Prochorus,  his  pupil, 
who  is  writing  as  he  dictates. 

The  Author. — John  was  the  son  of  Zebedee,  whom 
tradition  has  made  of  noble  birth,  and  Salome,^^  who,  it  is 
believed,  was  a  sister  of  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus,  and 
so  John  would  be  a  cousin  to  Jesus.  With  his  father,  his 
brother  James  and  with  Peter  and  Andrew  he  was  a  part- 
ner in  a  fishing  enterprise  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  He  was 
the  disciple  of  John  the  Baptist  and  was  one  of  the  first 
to  follow  Jesus,  and,  with  Peter  and  his  brother  James, 
he  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  apostles. 

He  was  a  witness  to  the  raising  of  the  daughter  of 
Jairus^^  and  of  the  transfiguration^*,  and  he  was  with 
Jesus  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane.^^  With  James,  he  was 
called  Boanerges,  meaning  "sons  of  thunder,"^*'  referring 
to  his  courage  and  bearing.  With  James  he  wanted  to 
call  down  fire  from  heaven  on  the  Samaritan  village,^^  and 
requested  with  his  mother  special  dignity  in  the  coming 
Kingdom.^^  He  forbade  the  man  who  followed  not  with 
the  disciples  to  cast  out  demons,^^  and  he  was  sent  with 
Peter  to  prepare  the  Passover.^^  He  is  not  once  named 
in  the  Gospel  that  bears  his  name,  although  frequent  ref- 
erences point  to  him  as  the  unnamed  disciple  with  Andrew 
when  he  first  heard  Jesus  and  followed  Him,-^  the  un- 

;^Mk.  15  :  40 ;  i6 :  I ;  Mt.  27  :  56.  "Lu.  9 :  54. 

Mk.  5  :  Z7.  isMk.  10 :  35-37 ;  Mt.  20 :  20,  21. 

Mk.  9:2.  -Mk.  9:38. 

^}^-^^'-^^-  '"Lu.  22:8. 

Mk.  3  :  17-  ==7ohn  i :  36-40. 


John  i  to  4.  229 

named  disciple  at  the  Last  Supper  whom  Jesus  loved,'^-  the 
unnamed  disciple  who  was  known  to  the  high  priest,-^  the 
unnamed  disciple  at  the  Cross  to  whom  Jesus  commis- 
sioned the  care  of  His  mother,-*  the  unnamed  disciple  with 
Peter  on  the  day  of  the  resurrection, ^^  the  unnamed  son 
of  Zebedee,^'^  the  unnamed  disciple  who  recognized  the 
Lord  as  they  were  drawing  in  a  multitude  of  fishes,^^  and 
the  unnamed  disciple  that  affirmed  this  record  was  true.^^ 

After  the  ascension  he  was  named  among  the  disciples 
in  the  Upper  Room  in  Jerusalem,^^  and  he  was  associated 
with  Peter  in  the  work  of  the  ministry,  healing  the  man 
at  the  Beautiful  Gate  of  the  Temple,  preaching  the  Gospel 
and  tried  before  the  Sanhedrin.^^  They  went  into  Samaria 
together,^^  and  he  was  with  Peter  in  Jerusalem  when  Paul 
made  his  second  visit  there  after  his  conversion.^-  John 
then  disappears  from  the  New  Testament  records  until 
we  come  to  the  book  of  Revelation,  when  it  is  said  that  he 
was  on  the  Isle  of  Patmos.^^ 

It  is  affirmed  by  tradition  that  after  leaving  Jerusalem 
he  lived  in  Ephesus.  Tertullian  said  that  he  went  to  Rome 
and  was  there  cast  into  a  cauldron  of  boiling  oil,  from 
which  he  miraculously  escaped.  During  the  reign  of 
Domitian  he  was  banished  to  Patmos,  and  on  the  accession 
of  Nerva  he  returned  to  Ephesus.  According  to  Apol- 
lonius  he  there  raised  a  man  from  the  dead,  Polycrates 
stated  that  he  wore  a  high-priestly  headdress,  and  Jerome 
tells  that  when  he  became  very  feeble  and  too  weak  to 
preach  he  was  taken  to  the  church,  when  his  only  mes- 
sage was,  "Little  children,  love  one  another."  On  being 
asked  why  he  repeated  this  so  often,  he  replied,  "Because 
it  is  a  Divine  command,  and  if  it  be  obeyed,  it  is  enough." 


^John  13  :  23.      ''John  20 :  2.         '^ohn  21 :  24.       "Acts  8. 
"John  18 :  16.       ^'^ohn  21 :  2.         "Acts  i :  13.  ''Gal.  2  :  1-9. 

"John  19 :  26.       "John  21 :  7.         ''Acts  3,  4-  "Rev.  i :  9-11. 


230  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

He  died  at  Ephesus  about  98-100  A.  D.  and  was  buried 
there.    He  wrote  five  books  of  the  New  Testament. 

He  is  usually  portrayed  in  art  as  the  most  effeminate  of 
the  apostles ;  particularly  did  Raphael  fall  into  this  mis- 
conception, but  Chrysostom  rightly  spoke  of  him  when  he 
said:  '*He  plays  no  drama,  he  covers  his  head  with  no 
mask;  yet  he  wears  a  ray  of  inimitable  beauty,  for  he 
comes  having  his  feet  shod  with  the  preparation  of  the 
Gospel  of  peace  and  his  loins  girt,  not  with  fleece,  dyed 
in  purple  or  bedropped  with  gold,  but  woven  through  and 
through  with,  and  composed  of,  the  truth  itself.  .  .  . 
as  if  we  all  at  once  saw  one  stooping  down  from  yonder 
Heaven  and  promising  to  tell  us  truly  of  things  there. 
...  He  stands  upon  a  rock  and  budges  not.  All  time 
is  his  witness.  Seest  thou  the  boldness  and  the  great 
authority  of  his  words  ?' ' 

The  lessons  of  this  first  division  are  considered  as  fol- 
lows: 

Genesis  and  John  open  with  the  same  phase — "In  the 
beginning" — and  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis  should  be 
read  in  connection  with  the  first  chapter  of  John.  Where 
Moses  began  the  Law,  John  began  the  Gospel — both  came 
from  God. 

The  Pre-existence  of  Christ  (i  :  1-18). — Unlike  the 
biography  of  any  other  man,  that  of  Jesus  reached  back 
to  the  beginning,  and,  as  has  been  said,  *TIis  life  did  not 
begin  when  He  was  born."  Matthew  gave  His  genealogy 
from  Abraham,  Luke  from  Adam,  but  John  ignores  all 
genealogy  and  declares  His  pre-existence  in  the  beginning 
with  God,  expressed  in  those  mighty  words — the  Word, 
the  Life  and  the  Light,  and  revealing  to  us  the  Father, 
who  is  all  these  and  more.  Jn  the  iirst,  God  communicated 
Himself  to  man  and  affirmed  His  Divine  approachable- 


John  i  to  4.  231 

ness ;  in  the  second,  God  became  the  Giver  and  restored  to 
man  what  he  lost  in  the  fall ;  in  the  third,  God  became  the 
Illuminator,  and  man's  pathway  was  lighted  to  the  throne 
of  Divine  love. 

By  the  instrumentality  of  the  Word  all  things  were 
created,^*  as  by  the  Holy  Spirit  all  things  were  beautified. ^^ 
Both  were  in  the  beginning  and  later  both  came  to  the 
earth — Jesus  (i)  to  die  for  the  sins  of  mankind  and  (2) 
to  be  raised  from  the  dead  .for  their  justification,  and  the 
Holy  Spirit  (i)  to  convict  the  sinner  and  (2)  to  sanctify 
the  saint.  The  incarnation — the  Word  becoming  human 
nature — is  a  theme  as  mighty  as  His  death  and  His  resur- 
rection, and  is  a  mark  of  condescending  humility  that 
passes  human  understanding.  No  sublimer  idea  ever 
came  to  the  human  mind  than  God  dwelling  among  men, 
pitching  His  tent  among  us,  and  it  is  a  prophecy  of  the 
consummation  when  pain  and  death  shall  be  no  more  and 
all  men  shall  know  Him,  for  He  shall  tabernacle  with  men, 
"and  they  shall  be  His  peoples,  and  God  Himself  shall  be 
with  them,  and  be  their  God."^^ 

Wordsworth  called  language  the  incarnation  of  ideas, 
and  said  William  Greenfield,  "As  words  are  the  medium 
of  communication  between  us,  this  term  is  used  in  the 
sacred  Scriptures  to  demonstrate  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the 
only  Mediator  between  God  and  man."  He  is  the  one 
language  between  the  Divine  and  human.  As  many  as 
received  Christ,  to  them  gave  He  the  right  to  become  chil- 
dren of  God.^^  As  all  things  in  the  beginning  were  made 
by  Him,  so  all  who  come  unto  the  Father  are  His  work- 
manship— remade,  "created  in  Christ  Jesus."'"^*  Moses 
was  the  mediator  of  the  Old  Covenant  and  Jesus  Christ 


*John  1:3;  Psa.  33  :  6;  Isa.  55 :  11.     "John  i :  12. 
"Job  26:  13.  '^Eph.  2:10. 

*Rev.  21 :  3,  4. 


232  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

is  the  Mediator  of  the  New  Covenant,  and  with  Him  came 
grace,  which  is  the  favor  of  the  Father,  and  truth,  which 
is  the  clear  revelation  of  the  character  of  the  Father. 
[For  the  ministry  of  John  the  Baptist,  see 
Mt.  3.1 
Personal  Work  (i  :  35-50- —  John  the  Baptist  an- 
nounced to  two  of  his  disciples  that  Jesus  is  the  Lamb 
of  God ;  Andrew,  who  was  one  of  the  two,  told  Peter  that 
he  had  found  the  Messiah ;  Philip  told  Nathanael  that  they 
had  found  that  Prophet  of  whom  Moses  spake.  These 
first  disciples  of  Jesus  came  not  by  public  discourse,  but 
by  personal  work,  just  as  most  persons  now  are  brought 
to  Christ.  Every  Christian  is  under  obligation  to  tell 
others  of  Jesus.  Philip's  answer  to  Nathanael  furnished 
the  best  reply  to  unbelief.  Tissot  was  brought  to  be  a 
believer  by  a  careful  study  of  the  life  of  Jesus  that  he 
might  get  subjects  for  his  artistic  genius.  Lord  Littleton 
and  Gilbert  West  were  infidels,  and  on  studying  the  Scrip- 
tures to  prepare  their  hostile  criticisms  they  both  became 
believers  in  Jesus.  The  real  test  of  Jesus  means  the  con- 
quest of  the  soul.  The  Old  Testament  closed  with  Jeho- 
vah's invitation,  saying,  "Prove  me,"^^  and  the  New  Testa- 
ment opens  with  the  invitation,  "Come  and  see."  The 
promise  of  Jesus  to  Nathanael  has  to  do  with  His  second 
advent. 

The  Ten  Titles  of  Jesus  (i). — In  no  other  chapter 
in  the  Scriptures  is  there  presented  under  so  many  terms 
the  character,  mission  and  office  of  Jesus  as  in  this  first 
chapter  of  John.  He  is  called  the  Word^''— the  instru- 
mentality of  creation  and  the  medium  of  communication ; 
the  Life*^ — the  Giver  of  life  to  the  race  dead  in  sin ;  the 
Light*-— thQ  Illuminator  of  the  darkened  palace  within 

"Mai.  3  :  10.     ^John  i :  i.      "John  i :  4.      *=John  i :  8. 


John  i  to  4. 


233 


man  and  the  pathway  before  man ;  and  the  Only  Be^^otten 
from  the  Father, ^^  which  is  three  times  emphasized  under 
the  qualifying  terms,  "the  only  begotten  Son""**  and  **the 
Son  of  God.""*^  This  blessed  relationship  between  the 
Father  and  the  Son  was  distinct  and  alone  from  that  of 
any  other  human  being. 

He  is  termed  the  Lord^^ — emphasizing  His  universal 
dominion ;  and  the  Lamb  of  God^''  A  lamb  was  through- 
out the  Old  Testament  the  sacrifice  for  both  general  and 
many  special  occasions,^^  and  all  these  sacrifices  were  types 
of  Jesus,  who  became  the  sacrifice  once  for  all  time  and  for 
all  the  world.***  While  the  word  *'lambs"  occurs  when 
referring  to  the  disciples  of  Christ,  yet  the  word  "Lamb" 
does  not  occur  in  the  New  Testament  unless  directly  re- 
ferring to  Christ.    He  is  the  sin-bearer  to  all. 

He  is  described  as  the  Tcacher,^^  this  title  presenting 
Him  to  us  as  the  one  and  only  teacher  of  mankind,  and 
the  Messiah^^ — which  is  the  Hebrew  for  the  Greek  word 
Christ — meaning  "the  Anointed  One,"  prophets,  priests 
and  kings  being  inaugurated  into  their  office  by  anointing. 
Jesus  was  anointed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  His  baptism  in 
the  Jordan. 

He  is  called  the  King  of  Israel^^ — this  being  a  title 
prophesying  the  conversion  of  Israel  and  their  recognition 
by  them  of  Him  as  their  King,  when  He  shall  reign  at 
Jerusalem  f^  and  the  Son  of  Man.^^  This  term  was  never 
used  by  any  of  the  Evangelists,  but  only  by  Jesus  Himself, 
who  used  it  frequently,  as  if  to  correct  the  idea  that  the 

*John  1:14.      "'Ex.  29:38;  Nu.  28:  11;  I  Ch.  29:21. 
"John  1 :  18.      "'Heb.  10:  10-12;  i  John  2  :  2. 
*^John  1 :  34.      '"John  i :  38. 
**John  1 :  23.      "John  i :  41. 
"John  1 :  29.       "John  i :  49. 

^'Zech.  12:  10-14;  Isa.  24:  23. 

"John  1 :  51. 


234  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Messiah  was  to  coine  in  the  glory  of  a  political  kingdom. 
Although  in  the  Talmud  one  of  the  titles  of  the  Messiah 
was  "the  Son  of  the  Fallen,"  Jesus'  use  of  it  may  have  been 
to  conceal  His  Messiahship.  Some  have  thought  it  meant 
the  ideal  man,  and  whatever  it  may  have  meant  there  is 
undoubtedly  in  it  an  idea  of  the  complete  identification  of 
Himself  with  all  mankind. 

Two  Miracles. — There  are  no  parables,  strictly  speak- 
ing, in  the  Gospel  of  John,  although  the  sheepfold^^  is 
sometimes  classed  among  the  parables.  Of  the  thirty-six 
miracles,  only  eight  are  mentioned  by  him.  One  of  these 
is  mentioned  in  both  Matthew  and  Mark — namely,  walk- 
ing on  the  Sea'^^' — and  one  of  these  is  mentioned  in  all  four 
Gospels  and  the  only  miracle  that  is  so  mentioned — 
namely,  feeding  the  five  thousand.^^  The  remaining  six 
are  peculiar  to  John,  and  two  of  these  are  mentioned  in 
this  division: 

(i)  Turning  the  zvater  into  wine  at  the  marriage  in 
Cana  in  Galilee  (mentioned  only  in  Jno.  2:  i-ii).  Ac- 
cording to  Lightfoot,  this  was  either  Wednesday,  which 
was  the  day  among  Jews  for  the  weddings  of  virgins,  or 
Thursday,  which  was  the  day  for  the  weddings  of  widows. 
The  first  miracle  of  Moses  was  turning  water  into  blood. 
A  firkin  was  equal  to  nine  gallons,  making  about  150  gal- 
lons— an  abundance,  as  when  He  fed  the  multitude. 
Augustine  suggested  that  Jesus'  reply  to  His  mother  was 
the  ignoring  of  the  human  relationship,  and  continuing,  he 
said :  "He  made  the  wine  that  day  at  the  marriage  in  the 
six  water-pots  who  every  year  makes  it  in  the  vines.  For 
even  as  what  the  attendants  put  into  the  water-pots  was 
turned  into  wine  by  the  Lord's  operations,  so,  too,  what 

'*John  10 :  1-6.     ^John  6 :  16-20.     "John  6 :  1-14. 


John  i  to  4.  235 

the  clouds  pour  forth  is  turned  into  wine  by  the  same 
Lord's  operations." 

It  was  the  best  wine  of  the  feast,  and  said  Chrysostom, 
''Such  are  Christ's  wondrous  works,  far  fairer  somehow 
and  better  than  those  that  are  perfected  by  nature."  Per- 
haps from  the  working  of  this  miracle,  and  there  being  no 
evidence  of  His  identifying  Himself  with  the  sect  of  the 
Essenes,  who  were  total  abstainers,  He  was  called  a  wine- 
bibber.^^  There  were  three  kinds  of  wine  in  Palestine — 
the  fermented,  which  was  used  by  dilution,  the  unfer- 
mented,  and  the  boiled  juice  of  the  grape,  which  usually 
stopped  fermentation. 

(2)  He  healed  while  in  Carta  the  nobleman  s  son,  who 
was  tzventy  miles  away  at  Capernaum  (mentioned  only  in 
Jno.  4:46-54).  This  nobleman  was  doubtless  an  official 
of  Herod  Antipas,  probably  Chuza.°^ 

The  First  Casting  Out  of  the  Money-Changers 
(mentioned  only  in  Jno.  2 :  13-22). — This  appears  to  have 
been  at  the  time  of  the  first  Passover  after  His  baptism 
(2y  A.  D.),  and  at  His  last  Passover  He  performed  the 
same  cleansing,  showing  both  its  constant  need  and  the 
unflinching  zeal  of  Jesus.  It  is  significant  that  He  never 
visited  Jerusalem  without  asserting  to  some  degree  the 
claims  of  His  Messiahship,  and  also  nowhere  in  His  min- 
istry did  He  use  such  severe  language  of  condemnation  as 
when  He  visited  there.  Between  the  Temple  proper  and 
the  cloister  was  the  Court  of  the  Gentiles,  where  all  nations 
could  meet  in  social  intercourse  and  for  public  worship. 
This  section  was  used  by  Christ  and  His  apostles  as  their 
place  for  preaching. 

In  this  place  the  money-changers  had  gathered  with 
their  coins  to  change  from  foreign  into  Jewish  money,  so 

"^Mt.  11:  19.      '°Lii.  8:3. 


236  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

that  all  could  pay  the  half-shekel  without  any  inconve- 
nience, also  with  doves,  sheep  and  cattle  for  Temple  sac- 
rifices, so  as  to  be  convenient  for  the  purchase  by  those 
Jews  who  had  come  a  long  distance.  The  Law  required 
that  every  Jew  should  pay  annually  the  half-shekel  in  Jew- 
ish money  for  the  support  of  the  Temple,^''  and  sometimes 
the  rabbis  would  strip  a  man  of  his  garment  to  compel 
him  to  meet  these  requirements,  and  the  Law  also  allowed 
those  Jews  who  lived  a  good  distance  away  to  sell  their 
first  fruits  and  purchase  their  offerings  at  Jerusalem.^^ 
The  sons  of  Annas  conducted  booths  for  this  purpose  be- 
yond the  city  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  doubtless  this 
same  business  in  the  Temple  was  conducted  under  their 
management,  and  both  places  were  notorious  for  dis- 
honesty. 

The  place  of  worship,  for  it  was  there  that  Gentiles  held 
their  worship,  was  turned  into  a  market,  and  their  whole 
policy  was  dishonest.  The  people's  opposition  to  such 
desecration  of  the  Temple  forbade  those  engaged  in  the 
unholy  traffic  to  lay  hands  on  Jesus,  else  there  would  have 
been  an  uprising.  He  overthrew  the  tables  with  the 
money,  drove  out  the  cattle  and  rebuked  those  who  sold 
doves  rather  than  letting  them  go,  so  that  in  no  instance 
was  there  a  loss  to  the  persons  doing  the  business. 

While  church  fairs  and  suppers  are  not  identical  with 
this,  they  are  somewhat  similar.  The  believer's  time  is 
used  to  solicit  all  kinds  of  donations  from  all  kinds  of 
people,  when  the  same  people  ought  to  be  using  that  same 
time  in  talking  to  the  unsaved  and  comforting  the  sorrow- 
ing, so  that  the  desecration  is  greater  than  was  the  dese- 
cration of  Herod's  Temple.  One  was  the  desecration  of 
place  and  time,  the  other  of  time  and  opportunity,  both 
""Ex.  30: 11-16.    ^'Du.  14:  24-26. 


John   i  to  4.  237 

of  which  are  more  sacred  than  either  the  place  and  time 
of  the  first.  While  the  prices  may  not  be  exorbitant,  the 
practice  is  not  always  honest.  Sometimes  there  are  wheels 
of  fortune  and  raffling  in  connection  with  these  church 
entertainments,  which  if  done  from  under  the  cover  of 
the  church  would  call  for  the  speedy  arrest  and  prosecu- 
tion of  the  active  church  workers,  who  are  engaged  in 
what,  under  every  other  condition,  the  law  regards  as 
illegal. 

Besides  all  this,  it  is  a  false  policy  of  raising  money  for 
the  advancement  of  the  Kingdom  of  the  self-denying  Son 
of  God,  and  it  throws  scandal  upon  His  sacred  cause. 
There  is  but  one  way  to  raise  money  for  Christian  work, 
and  that  is  to  give  of  what-  money  has  been  entrusted 
to  us  by  Him  cheerfully,  prayerfully  and  to  the  degree  of 
self-denial,  and,  further,  to  ask  our  friends  to  do  the  same 
thing.  The  whole  practice  of  church  fairs  and  bazars  is 
unspiritual  in  every  particular  and  productive  of  irreligion 
and  worldliness. 

NicoDEMUS  AND  THE  New  Birth  (3:  i-2i). — Some  of 
the  Pharisees  were  sincerely  devout,  as  was  Nicodemus, 
who  was  also  a  "ruler  of  the  Jews,"  a  member  of  the 
Sanhedrin^-  and  probably  a  man  of  some  wealth.''^'  He 
opposed  action  against  Jesus  in  the  early  part  of  His  min- 
istry,*'* and  after  the  crucifixion  he  assisted  Joseph  in  the 
burial  of  the  body  of  Jesus.^^  A  tradition  says  that  he  was 
baptized  by  Peter  and  John  and  later  was  banished  from 
Jerusalem  because  of  the  hostility  of  the  Jews.  His  com- 
ing to  Jesus  by  night  appears  to  have  no  other  significance 
than  having  ample  time  and  the  quiet  for  a  long  interview, 
for  Tesus  never  remained  in  the  city  over  night,  but  re- 


•'John  7  :  50.     •^John  19 :  39-      '"John  7  :  5i-      '^John  19 :  39- 


2^S  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

tired  to  the  Mount  of  Olives,  or  even  Bethany,  and  re- 
turned to  the  city  next  morning. 

Nicodemus  seemed  to  have  been  a  man  of  dull  intelli- 
gence, for  *'born  anew"  was  a  term  current  at  that  time 
among  the  rabbis.  They  said  of  all  proselytes,  'They  are 
children  newly  born,"  and  some  rabbis  went  so  far  as  to 
say  that  a  proselyte  could  marry  his  nearest  kin,  because 
the  old  relationship  was  annulled;  besides,  Nicodemus 
must  have  heard  of  John  the  Baptist  and  perhaps  had  wit- 
nessed some  of  his  baptisms,  and,  further,  John  declared 
in  his  preaching  that  when  the  Messiah  came  He  would 
baptize  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  All  three  terms,  namely, 
"born  anezv"  "water"  and  "spirit,"  should  have  been 
understood  by  a  Jewish  rabbi,  but  one  difficulty  was  in 
every  Jewish  mind,  and  that  was  how  this  new  birth 
should  be  expected  of  the  Jews,  who,  as  children  of  Abra- 
ham, appeared  already  heirs  of  salvation. 

The  new  birth,  or  "born  anew,"  or  regeneration,  is  some- 
what to  the  believer  as  the  incarnation  was  to  Jesus.  Our 
entrance  into  the  kingdom  of  nature  is  by  natural  birth, 
and  so  our  entrance  into  the  spiritual  Kingdom  of  God 
must  be  by  spiritual  birth.  Jesus  simply  and  sublimely 
sets  it  forth,  leaving  no  doubt  whatever  of  His  meaning. 
Said  Lyman  Abbott,  ''Nicodemus  would  certainly  have 
understood  by  Christ's  expression,  'born  of  water,'  a  ref- 
erence to  the  rite  of  baptism,  and  by  the  expression,  'born 
of  the  Spirit,'  a  reference  to  a  new  spiritual  life,  which, 
however,  he  could  have  only  imperfectly  apprehended." 
And  said  Alford,  "All  attempts  to  get  away  from  this  con- 
clusion have  sprung  from  doctrinal  prejudices." 

John  3 : 8  is  simplified  when  we  bear  in  mind  that  the 
Greek  word  of  this  verse,  pneuma,  which  is  here  translated 
"wind,"  and  is  the  only  instance  in  the  New  Testament 


John  i  to  4. 


239 


where  it  is  so  translated,  is  elsewhere  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment always  rendered  "spirit."  Anemos  is  the  word  for 
wind,  but  pneuma  is  always  translated  "spirit"  except  in 
this  one  instance,  which  is  unwarranted.  The  meanin"-  is 
then :  The  Spirit  breathes  where  He  pleases  and  thou 
hearest  the  voice  through  holy  men  of  God,  but  in  the  time 
of  Jesus  none  knew  whence  the  voice  came  and  whither 
it  tended,  so  everyone  by  hearing  the  voice  is  born  of  the 
Spirit,  whether  Jew  or  Gentile.  This  interpretation  is  in 
perfect  keeping  with  a  later  utterance  from  Peter,"Having 
been  begotten  again  not  of  corruptible  seed,  but  incor- 
ruptible, through  the  Word  of  God,  which  liveth  and 
abideth."'''*^  Out  of  this  new  viewpoint  and  away  from  the 
Jewish  idea  of  salvation,  it  is  no  great  surprise  that  Nico- 
demus  should  have  said,  "How  can  these  things  be?" 

Otherwise  one  shall  not  even  see  eternal  life,^'^  or  com- 
prehend it,  for  that  is  its  meaning  here,  for  spiritual  things 
are  spiritually  examined.®^  On  Thorwaldsen's  being  told 
that  there  was  a  dispute  about  the  time  and  place  of  his 
birth,  whether  in  Copenhagen  in  1770  or  in  Brussels  in 
1772,  he  answered,  "What  matters  it?  But  I  arrived  in 
Rome  on  March  8,  1797,"  meaning  that  that  time  and 
place  was  his  real  birthday,  for  from  that  time  he  began 
to  study  sculpture  and  to  live  in  the  world  of  art.  Our 
birthday  is  the  day  when  we  were  "born  of  water  and 
of  the  Spirit."    From  henceforth  we  begin  to  live. 

Jesus  and  the  Woman  at  Jacob's  Well  (4:1-42). — 
During  the  reign  of  King  Omri  of  Israel  he  purchased  of 
Shemer  a  hill  upon  which  he  built  a  city,  and  called  it 
Shomeron,  meaning  "watch  mountain,"  after  the  name  of 
Shemer.*^^  Later  it  came  to  be  called  Samaria,  and  was 
the  capital  of  Israel.    The  history  of  the  Samaritans  began 


'i  Pet.  1 :  23.     '7ohn  3  :  36.     ''i  Cor.  2 :  14.     '"i  Kgs.  16:  24. 


240  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

with  the  fall  of  Samaria  in  721  B.  C'  The  Assyrians 
took  into  captivity  the  chief  citizens  and  replaced  them 
with  foreigners,  and  there  arose  a  mongrel  people  neither 
Jewish  nor  heathen,  but  something  of  both.  On  the  return 
of  the  Jews  from  the  Babylonian  captivity  the  Samaritans 
offered  to  aid  in  rebuilding  the  Temple,  and  their  offer 
being  rejected,  an  enmity  arose  which  continued  through- 
out the  after-history  of  the  Jews.  A  Jewish  priest  married 
a  heathen  wife,  and  being  expelled  from  Jerusalem,  he 
identified  himself  with  the  Samaritans  and  later  secured 
permission  of  the  king  of  Persia  to  build  a  rival  temple 
on  Mount  Gerizim,  where  he  estabHshed  a  sacerdotal  wor- 
ship, modeled  after  that  in  the  Jerusalem  Temple. 

Like  the  Sadducees,  they  rejected  all  the  Old  Testament 
except  the  five  books  of  the  Law ;  they  kept  all  the  Festi- 
vals and  they  claimed  Jacob  as  their  great  ancestor.  All 
this  tended  to  increase  the  animosity  between  the  two 
peoples,  so  that  by  the  time  of  Christ  the  Jews  had  no  deal- 
ings with  the  Samaritans.  Jews  traveling  through  Sa- 
maria had  sometimes  been  killed,  and  bigoted  Jew^s  re- 
garded the  soil  as  so  unclean  that  they  would  not  walk 
through  that  territory,  but  instead,  in  passing  backwards 
and  forwards  from  Galilee  to  Judaea,  they  usually  took  the 
Jordan  route,  crossing  into  Peraea,  and  thereby  avoiding 
both  danger  and  contamination,  but  Jesus  must  needs  pass 
through  Samaria. 

Jacob's  well  as  seen  by  modern  travelers  is  cut  through 
solid  rock  and  is  about  nine  feet  in  diameter  and  seventy- 
five  feet  deep.  It  was  the  sixth  hour,  which  was  twelve 
o'clock  noon.  The  woman  was  an  outcast  of  society,  but 
Jesus  sits  down  to  talk  with  her,  and,  the  most  surprising 
of  all.  He  tells  her  that  He  is  the  Messiah,  which  He  ap- 

'"i  Kgs.  17. 


John  i  to  4.  241 

pears  not  to  have  done  at  that  time  to  even  His  apostles, 
and  notwithstanding  that  it  was  a  violation  of  Jewish  cus- 
tom to  talk  with  a  woman  in  public,  even  if  she  was  one's 
daughter  or  wife.  It  has  been  said  that  in  the  morning 
prayer  the  Jew  thanked  Jehovah  "who  hath  not  made  me 
a  Gentile,  a  slave  or  a  woman."  According  to  Lightfoot, 
it  was  counted  impious  to  impart  the  Law  to  a  woman. 

Jesus  cared  nothing  for  the  old  controversy  between  the 
Jews  and  the  Samaritans,  but  dealt  both  with  the  contro- 
versy and  the  woman  herself  as  to  leave  us  an  unparalleled 
model  in  soul  winning.  Said  Henry  Ward  Beecher, 
"There  are  many  like  this  woman  who  would  be  glad  of 
such  a  Divine  gift  of  religion  as  should  take  away  all  the 
labor  and  trouble  of  Christian  life.  'That  I  come  not 
hither  to  draw'  is  the  desire  of  thousands  who  want  the 
results  of  right  living  without  the  trouble  of  living 
aright." 

Rightful  worship  is  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  which  means 
spiritual  communion  from  the  heart  that  has  been  "born 
anew"  with  the  Eternal  Father  and  in  conformity  with 
His  established  approach,  which  is  through  Jesus  Christ, 
the  only  Mediator  between  God  and  us.  All  other  media- 
tors, such  as  the  Virgin  Mary  and  the  saints  and  all  other 
methods,  such  as  by  beads  and  other  heathen  emblems, 
are  false  approaches  to  the  Father.  The  man  "born  anew" 
must  worship  the  Father  in  penitence  for  all  sin  he  has 
done,  in  forgiveness  of  all  who  have  wronged  him,  in  sin- 
cerity of  purpose  of  the  unworldly  life,  and  in  humility  of 
heart  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 


Blessed  Father,  Thou  has  unraveled  the  skein  of  human 
philosophy  concerning  salvation  and  Thyself.  Jesus  sits 
above  all  teachers,  and  He  has  given  to  me  the  right  to 


242  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

become  Thy  child.  I  thank  Thee  that  through  His  grace 
I  have  been  born  anew,  and  according  to  Thy  affirmation 
I  have  eternal  life.  Thou  hast  lifted  me  up  far  beyond  my 
deserts,  for  to  carry  in  my  bosom  the  consciousness  of  Thy 
love  and  care  are  marks  of  distinction  that  make  me  pros- 
trate my  soul  before  Thee  in  thanksgiving  and  praise 
through  my  blessed  Mediator  Jesus  Christ — the  Word, 
the  Lamb,  Thy  Son  and  my  Saviour.    Amen. 


Questions. 


I.  Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter.  2.  What  the  divisions  of  the  book  of 
John?  3.  What  the  title  and  limit  of  the  first  division?  4.  Name 
the  chapters  of  this  division.     5.  How  is  this  Gospel  described? 

6.  What    are    some    of    the    characteristics    of    John's    Gospel? 

7.  What  of  the  chronology  and  genuineness  ?  8.  What  of  its  date  ? 
9.  What  appears  to  have  been  the  circumstances  of  John  writing 

his  Gospel?  10.  Explain  the  interpolation  of  7:53-8:11.  11. 
What  of  John's  traditional  method  of  writing?  12.  What  of 
John's  personal  history?  13.  Explain  the  eight  instances  of  the 
unnamed  disciple  in  this  Gospel.  14.  What  of  John's  history  after 
the   ascension   of   Jesus?      15.  What    of   his   general   character? 

16.  How  is  the  opening  of  John  like  the  opening  of   Genesis? 

17.  What  of  the  pre-existence  of  Jesus?  18.  Explain  the  use  of 
the  term  "Word."  19.  What  of  the  interview  between  John  the 
Baptist  and  some  of  the  members  of  the  Sanhedrin  ( i :  19-28)  ? 
20.  Explain  the  Old  Testament  prophecy  referred  to  in  the  inter- 
view (Du.  18:  15;  Mai.  4:5).  21.  How  did  John  introduce  Jesus 
to  the  world  (i :  29-36)  ?  22.  What  of  personal  work?  23.  What 
of  the  answer  to  unbelief?  24.  Explain  the  ten  titles  of  Jesus  given 
in  the  first  chapter.  25.  Give  an  account  of  the  two  miracles  of 
this  division.  26.  What  of  the  first  casting  out  of  the  money- 
changers? 27.  How  was  Jesus  received  in  Jerusalem  at  the  first 
Passover  (2:23)?  28.  What  of  Nicodemus  and  the  new  birth? 
29.  Explain  John  3:8.  30.  What  the  circumstances  of  the  two 
references  in  this  division  to  His  death  and  His  resurrection 
(2:19-22;  3:i4>  15)?  31-  Give  the  sentence  that  Jesus  used  in 
expressing  God's  deepest  love  for  the  lost  world  (3  :  16).  32.  How 
do  we  escape  the  judgment  (3:  17-21)  ?    33-  Why  was  John  bap- 


John  i  to  4.  2^^ 

cernw"l^""  ^'^"'^l    ''^  "^"^  '"  ''"''  J^""'^  '""'"""y  con- 
cerning Jesus,  quoting  the  culminating  verse  (3  :  27-36)     ,k    What 

of  Jesus  and  the  woman  at  Jacob's  well?    36.  Explain  what  it 

to  worship  the  Father  in  spirit  and  in  truth.     37.  On  enter  „g 

Gahlee,  how  did  the  Gahteans  receive  Him  (4:45)?     ,8   WW 

ts  your  prayer  in  the  light  of  this  message?  ' 


JOHN. 

II.    From  His  Second  to  His  Fourth  and  Last  Pass- 
over.— 5-12. 


"Marvel  not  at  this :  for  the  hour  cometh,  in  which  all  that  are 
in  the  tombs  shall  hear  His  voice,  and  shall  come  forth ;  they  that 
have  done  good,  unto  the  resurrection  of  life ;  and  they  that  have 
done  evil,  unto  the  resurrection  of  judgment"— Jesus  (5:  28,  29). 


"I  am  the  Bread  of  Life :  he  that  cometh  to  me  shall  not  hunger, 
and  he  that  beheveth  on  me  shall  never  thirst." — Jesus  (6:  35). 


"I  am  the  Light  of  the  World :  he  that  followeth  me  shall  not 
walk  in  the  darkness,  but  shall  have  the  light  of  life." — Jesus 
(8:12).  

"If  ye  abide  in  my  word,  then  are  ye  truly  my  disciples ;  and  ye 
shall  know  the  truth,  and  the  truth  shall  make  you  free." — Jesus 
(8:31,32). 


"I  am  the  Door;  by  me  if  any  man  enter  in,  he  shall  be  saved, 
and  shall  go  in  and  go  out,  and  shall  find  pasture." — Jesus  (10:  9). 


"I  am  the  Good  Shepherd ;  and  I  know  mine  own,  and  mine  own 
know  me." — Jesus  (10:  14). 


"I  am  the  Resurrection,  and  the  Life :  He  that  believeth  on  me, 
though  he  die,  yet  shall  he  live ;  and  whosoever  liveth  and  believ- 
eth on  me  shall  never  die."— Z^^mj  to  Martha  (n  :  25,  26). 


246 


JOHN. 

II.    From  His  Second  to  His  Fourth  and  Last  Pass- 
over.— 5-12. 

This  division  begins  with  the  miracle  at  the  pool  of 
Bethesda  in  Jerusalem  and  closes  with  the  last  public  dis-, 
course  of  Jesus,  likewise  spoken  in  Jerusalem,  covering  a 
period  presumably  from  the  second  Passover  to  the  fourth, 
or  last  Passover.^ 

Three  Miracles. — Two  of  the  miracles  in  this  division 
were  mentioned  in  the  chapter  on  the  first  division  and  the 
three  remaining  miracles  are  peculiar  to  John. 

These  are :  ( i )  He  cured  a  man  who  had  been  sick  for 
thirty-eight  years,  on  the  Sabbath,  at  the  pool  of  Bethesda 
in  Jerusalem  (mentioned  only  in  Jno.  5:2-18).  All  the 
large  cities  of  the  Old  World  contained  pools  for  bathing 
and  swimming,  and  Jerusalem  had  an  unusually  large 


Markings. — Undermark,  5 :  i,  17,  28,  29,  33,  40;  6:  27,  40,  48,  62,, 
66;  7:5,  9,  14,  17,  31,  39,  42,  53;  8:  i,  29,  42,  58;  9:4,  25,  31,  38; 
10:7,  16,  33;  11:35;  12:  I,  24,  28,  46;  also  undermark  the  words 
"Bethesda"  in  5:2;  "sabbath"  in  5:9;  "witness"  in  5:31;  "works 
that  I  do"  in  5 :  36 ;  "Father"  in  5 :  37 ;  "scriptures"  in  5 :  39 ; 
"Moses"  in  5:46;  "sea  of  Galilee"  in  6:1;  "passover"  in  6:4; 
"five  thousand"  in  6:10;  "walking  on  the  sea"  in  6:19;  "true 
bread"  in  6:33;  "living  bread"  in  6:51;  "feast  of  tabernacles"  in 
7:2;  "its  works  are  evil"  in  7:  7;  "This  is  the  Christ"  in  7^41; 
"never  man  so  spake"  in  7:46;  "He  that  is  without  sin"  in  8:7; 
"the  light  of  the  world"  in  8:  12;  "my  witness  is  true"  in  8:  14; 
"my  day"  in  8 :  56 ;  "blind  man"  in  9 :  i ;  "pool  of  Siloam"  in  9:7; 
"it  was  on  the  sabbath"  in  9:  14;  "the  door"  in  10:  i;  "the  shep- 
herd" in  10:2;  "I  am  the  door"  in  10:9;  "I  ''^ni  the  good  shep- 
herd" in  10:  14;  "feast  of  the  dedication"  in  10:22;  "Lazarus  of 
Bethany"  in  11:  i;  "Lazarus,  come  forth"  in  11:43;  "Caiaphas" 
in  11:49;  "Ephraim"  in  11:54;  "passover"  in  11:  55;  "pound  of 

'28-30  A.  D. 

247 


248  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

number  of  such  pools.  The  site  of  that  of  Bethesda  is 
uncertain.  He  called  the  man's  will  into  exercise,  and 
faith  and  obedience  quickly  followed.  The  Law  forbade 
doing  any  work  on  the  Sabbath,  and  Nehemiah  forbade 
the  carrying  of  burdens  pertaining  to  business  in  obedi- 
ence to  that  Law,-  and  so  the  rabbis  insisted  that  nothing 
under  any  circumstances  must  be  borne  on  that  day.  "The 
taking  up  of  his  bed,"  said  Marcus  Dods,  ''was  in  order 
that  there  should  be  no  provision  for  a  relapse." 

(2)  He  cured  a  man  horn  blind  on  the  Sabbath  in  Je- 
rusalem (mentioned  only  in  Jno.  9).  Without  an  appeal 
from  him,  Jesus  cured  him.  For  some  unknown  reason 
clav  and  spittle  were  used,  which  were  commonly  believed 
to  possess  curative  properties.  Siloam  was  one  of  the 
well-known  pools  of  Jerusalem,  and  was  said  to  be  18  by 
53  feet.  It  is  well  known  that  some  diseases  are  the  direct 
result  of  sin,  as,  for  instance,  diseases  that  are  produced 
by  constant  and  intemperate  drinking  of  liquors ;  also  it  is 
clearly  shown  to  us  in  the  Scriptures  that  all  disease  and 
death  are  the  result  of  the  sin  of  disobedience  to  God,  but 


ointment"  in  12:3;  "Hosanna"  in  12:13;  "we  would  see  Jesus" 
in  12:  21. 

Mark,  5  :  8,  9,  18 ;  6 :  15,  54,  67-69 ;  7  :  8,  10,  34,  38,  51 ;  8 :  11,  44 ; 
9:  16,  33;  10:  18,  29,  40;  II :  2,  7,  17,  27,  40,  44,  50;  12:  5,  19,  23,  42. 

Personal  mark,  5 :  24,  25 ;  6 :  29,  35,  37,  47,  53 ;  8 :  24,  31,  32,  36, 
51 ;  10 :  II,  27,  28 ;  11 :  25,  26 ;  12  :  26,  36,  48. 

Mark  with  the  cross,  5  :  18 ;  8 :  28 ;  1 1 :  53  ;  12 :  7,  32. 

Mark  with  P,  meaning  prayer,  11:41;  12:27. 

Names  of  the  chapters  of  the  second  division :  5— Pool  of  Beth- 
esda in  Jerusalem  and  the  witnesses;  6 — Miracles  and  Discourse 
on  the  Bread  of  Life  in  Capernaum;  7— Feast  of  Tabernacles  in 
Jerusalem,  Opinions  Concerning  Him,  and  Discourse  on  the  Liv- 
mg  Water ;  8— Woman  Taken  in  Adultery  and  Discourses  on  the 
Light  of  the  World  and  the  True  Children  of  Abraham;  9— Heal- 
mg  of  the  Blmd  Man  and  the  Controversy ;  10— The  Door  and  the 
Good  Shepherd;  11— Raising  of  Lazarus  and  Jesus  Dwelling  in 
Ephraim ;  12— Triumphal  Entry  into  Jerusalem  and  His  Last  Pub- 
lic Discourse. 

"Neh.  13 :  19. 


John  5  to  12.  249 

it  is  neither  of  these  cases  that  is  the  issue  in  the  question 
asked  by  the  disciples.  It  was  universally  believed  then, 
and  is  frequently  believed  now,  that  all  afflictions  are  the 
direct  visitation  of  Divine  wrath  for  specific  sins.''  Jesus 
rebuked  this  superstitious  doctrine.  The  Scriptures  aflford 
abundant  instances  of  God's  not  hearing  the  impenitent 
sinner."^  This  is  the  only  miracle  the  account  of  which 
covers  a  whole  chapter  and  is  also  the  only  miracle  that 
is  subjected  to  a  judicial  investigation. 

(3)  He  raised  Lazarus  from  the  dead  at  Bethany 
(mentioned  only  in  Jno.  11 : 1-53).  The  family  was  prom- 
inent and  appeared  to  be  one  of  wealth.  Mary  later 
anointed  the  feet  of  Jesus  and  wiped  them  with  her  hair,^ 
and  she  is  sometimes  identified  with  Mary  Magdalene. 
The  common  belief  at  the  time  of  Jesus  was  that  at  death 
the  souls  of  the  dead  went  into  Hades — the  righteous  into 
a  place  of  peace  and  the  wicked  into  a  place  of  torment — 
and  all  awaited  the  coming  of  the  Messiah  for  the  final 
rewards  of  the  righteous  and  condemnation  of  the  wicked. 
Against  that  doctrine  Jesus  made  answer  to  Martha  that 
He  ivas  at  that  time  "the  Resurrection  and  the  Life" — the 
source  of  all  life,  and  at  death  the  believer  passed  to  be 
with  Christ.® 

One  of  the  sweetest  and  tenderest  verses  in  the  Bible  is 
*7esus  wept,"  which  should  never  be  quoted  in  jest,  as  it 
is  sometimes  done,  because  of  it  being  the  shortest  verse 
in  the  Bible.  No  verse  in  the  Scriptures  shows  us  so 
clearly  the  deep  sympathy  of  Jesus  for  us  in  our  afflictions. 
Those  tears  are  among  the  mightiest  arguments  for  His 
love.     It  was  a  Jewish  superstition  that  the  souls  of  the 


'Acts  28 : 4. 

*Isa.  i:  11-15;  59:  I,  2;  Prov.  15:8;  28:9. 
7ohn  12:  1-8;  Mt.  26:6-13;  Mk.  14:3-10. 
«2  Cor.  5:8;  Phil.  1:23. 


250         Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

dead  wandered  about  for  three  days  with  the  possibility 
of  returning  to  the  body.  Jesus  delayed  to  come  at  the 
call  of  Mary  and  Martha,  as  He  does  sometimes  now  at 
our  call.  The  resurrection  of  Lazarus  is  a  prophecy  of 
the  final  resurrection,  for  ''all  that  are  in  the  tombs  shall 
hear  His  voice  and  shall  come  forth.""^ 

Verily,  Verily  (5:19).  —  This  term  is  the  same  as 
"Amen"  and  means  "so  may  it  be."  It  is  translated 
"Amen"  at  the  close  of  prayers,  benedictions  and  doxolo- 
gies  in  private  use  and  in  the  public  worship  of  the  syna- 
gogue, although  according  to  Edersheim  it  appears  not 
to  have  been  used  in  the  Temple  worship,  but  it  was 
practiced  in  the  early  Christian  worship.^  Jesus  alone 
used  it  as  an  introduction  to  some  solemn  and  weighty 
statement  He  was  about  to  make,  when  it  was  trans- 
lated "Verily,  verily."  In  Matthew  it  is  used  thirty  times, 
in  Mark  twelve  times  and  in  Luke  six  times.  The 
doubling  of  it  is  peculiar  to  John,  where  it  is  used  twenty- 
five  times. 

The  Resurrection  and  the  Judgment  (5:  25-29). — 
This  whole  doctrine  was  a  surprise  to  the  Jews,  as  is 
evinced  by  the  use  of  the  phrase  "Marvel  not  at  this,"  and 
is  of  equal  surprise  to  many  Christians  now.  Alford, 
Olshausen  and  others  have  argued  for  the  literal  resurrec- 
tion of  the  body  in  the  last  day  in  keeping  with  the  state- 
ment, "All  that  are  in  the  tombs  shall  hear  His  voice  and 
shall  come  forth"»— the  heavy  door  of  the  grave  shall 
some  day  be  lifted  by  Divine  power.  While  the  doctrine 
of  two  resurrections  is  only  implied  here,  it  is  stated  else- 
where clearly,^^  and  from  these  passages  it  is  evident  that 
the  righteous  have  their  resurrection  at  the  second  coming 

7ohn  5 :  28,  29.     'John  5  :  28. 

*i  Cor.  14:  16.       '"Acts  24:  15;  I  Thess.  4:  16,  17;  Rev.  20:  5,  6. 


John  5  to  12.  251 

of  Christ  and  the  unrighteous  have  theirs  a  thousand  years 
after. 

Those  who  have  eternal  Hfe  shall  not  come  into  the 
judgment  of  condemnation,  for  to  them  there  is  no  con- 
demnation/^ Only  these  shall  stand  at  the  judgment  seat 
of  Christ,  where  they  shall  receive  their  rewards.  The 
judgment  seat  of  Christ  is  for  believers  only}-  Those  who 
have  practiced  evil  shall  go  to  the  last  judgment,  where  it 
appears  they  shall  be  condemned,  both  for  their  guilt  and 
for  not  taking  Christ,  who  alone  takes  away  all  guilt.  The 
twenty-fifth  verse  has  a  twofold  meaning;  it  not  only 
refers  to  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  but  is  a  call  to  those 
who  are  spiritually  dead  under  the  term  "the  hour  cometh 
and  now  is  when  the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son 
of  God,  and  they  that  hearken  shall  live."^^ 

Searching  the  Scriptures  (5:39). — Knowledge  of 
the  Scriptures  is  of  no  profit  unless  it  is  applied  to  one's 
life.  //  is  only  in  living  the  Bible  that  one  can  say  that 
he  knows  it.  To  easily  quote  every  passage  on  for- 
giveness, patience  or  giving,  and  yet  to  practice  none 
of  these  graces,  is  evident  that  one  really  has  no  knowl- 
edge of  them  at  all.  The  Jews  thought  that  eternal  life 
was  in  the  Bible,  but  Jesus  showed  that  it  is  in  Himself — 
in  a  person  rather  than  in  a  book.  The  Scriptures  lead 
one  to  Christ — 'Thy  Word  is  a  light" — but  Christ  alone 
is  the  Redeemer.  Correct  understanding  of  certain  doc- 
trines of  the  Bible  may  make  persons  orthodox  from  a 
denominational  point  of  view,  but  study  of  the  Scriptures 
is  of  value  only  when  one  is  led  into  absolute  obedience  to 
Jesus  Christ  and  diligently  practices  His  principles. 

The  Sea  of  Galilee  (6:  i )  .—According  to  the  rabbis 
the  Lord  said,  ''Seven  seas  have  I  created,  but  of  them  all 


'Ro.  8:1.     ''2  Cor.  5  :  10.     "Eph.  2:1;  Col.  2 :  13- 


252  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

have  I  chosen  none  save  the  Sea  of  Chinnereth,"  which  was 
the  Old  Testament  name  for  the  Sea  of  GaHlee,  and  re- 
ferred to  the  district  bordering  on  it  by  that  name.^*  Luke 
once  called  it  the  "Lake  of  Gennesaret;"^' John  twice  called 
it  the  ''Sea  of  Tiberias  ;"^«  Josephus  always  used  the  name 
"Gennesar,"  which  was  another  form  of  Chinnereth,  and 
perhaps  Gennesaret  is  a  still  later  form  of  the  same  word. 
The  sea  is  shaped  something  like  a  pear  and  measures 
seven  miles  wide  by  thirteen  long.  It  is  200  feet  deep, 
700  feet  below  the  Mediterranean  Sea  and  4CX)0  vessels 
plowed  its  waves,  plying  between  the  dozen  towns  on  its 
shores.  Its  location  is  beautiful,  with  its  high  cliffs  and 
clear  water.  It  has  been  described  as  looking  like  clear 
silver  water  in  a  cup  of  gold  crowned  with  a  wreath  of 
evergreens.  The  Jordan  enters  it  at  its  north  end,  and, 
passing  through  it,  goes  out  at  its  southern  extremity. 
The  waters  abounded  with  fishes  and  furnished  an  industry 
that  enriched  the  citizens  who  lived  on  its  shores.  The 
climate  is  tropical.  Partly  because  of  the  high  tableland 
rising  so  far  above  the  sea,  the  cold  of  the  mountain 
rushes  down  upon  the  warm  atmosphere  on  the  surface  of 
the  sea  and  causes  sudden  and  violent  storms.  On  its 
shores  Jesus  made  His  home  for  a  while,^'  called  His  first 
apostles,^^  and  here  worked  many  of  His  miracles  and 
spoke  many  of  His  parables.  Robert  McCheyne,  sitting 
on  its  banks,  wrote : 

"It  is  not  that  the  wild  gazelle 

Comes  down  to  drink  thy  tide, 
But  He  that  was  pierced  to  save  from  hell 
Oft  wandered  by  thy  side. 


'Nu.  34:  II.  "Mt.  4:  13. 

'Lu.  5  :  I.  ^^Mt.  4 :  18-22 ;  Mk.  2 :  13-17. 

John  6:  i;  21 :  I. 


John  5  to  12.  253 

"Graceful  around  thee  the  mountains  meet, 
Thou  calm,  reposing  sea. 
But,  ah,  far  more  the  beautiful  feet 
Of  Jesus  walked  o'er  thee." 

[For  the  feeding  of  the  5000  and  walking  on 
the  water,  see  Mt.  14:  I3-33-] 

Discourse  on  the  Bread  of  Life  (6:  22-71).— This 
discourse  was  delivered  in  the  synagogue  at  Capernaum, 
and  it  may  be  divided  as  follows :  ( i )  He  both  announced 
and  defined  the  food  that  gives  life  to  the  world— 26-33 ; 
(2)  He  proclaimed  Himself  the  bread  of  life,  and  declared 
that  faith  in  Him  assures  the  believer  of  eternal  life  and 
the  resurrection  from  the  dead— 34-51 ;  (3)  He  showed 
that  the  personal  appropriation  of  Himself  to  one's  own 
need  is  essential  to  one's  eternal  life— 52-59;  (4)  He  con- 
trasted the  spirit  and  the  flesh,  and  then  affirmed  that  His 
words  are  spirit  and  life — 60-71. 

It  is  a  wonderful  discourse.  The  physical  body  needs 
material  bread  for  its  sustenance,  but  of  far  greater  im- 
portance is  the  need  of  the  spiritual  body,  which  alone  is 
supplied  by  the  spiritual  bread.  Starving  for  bread  is  sad. 
The  Irish  famine  will  never  be  forgotten  as  long  as  Amelia 
Edwards'  little  poem,  'Three  Grains  of  Corn,"  is  in  print; 
but  starving  for  the  bread  of  life — so  common  uncon- 
sciously among  believers — is  sadder.  Where  there  is 
envy,  strife,  jealousy,  indifference  and  division  there  is 
leanness  of  soul;  where  there  is  patience,  longsuffering, 
humility,  service,  submission  to  wrong,  and  all  for  Jesus' 
sake,  there  is  a  soul  growing  fat.  Chrysostom  said,  'Tf 
any  be  idle  and  gluttonous  and  careth  for  luxury,  that 
man  worketh  for  the  meat  that  perisheth."  Job  said,  "Thy 
Word  is  more  necessary  than  my  daily  food." 


254  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

They  asked,  ''What  can  we  do  to  please  God  by  our 
works  ?"^^  Paganism  has  answered  it  by  self-mutiUation ; 
Roman  Catholicism  has  answered  it  by  penances:  Jesus 
answered  that  faith  in  Him  is  the  greatest  work  that 
anyone  can  do,  and  Paul  said,  "The  righteous  shall  live 
by  faith."-^  It  is  not  so  much  work  hy  us  that  God  asks, 
but  work  in  us — personal  faith — that  affects  the  whole 
life  and  character  of  the  believer.  Faith  in  Jesus  feeds 
the  soul. 

The  manna,  like  the  Red  Sea,  the  rock  and  the  brazen 
serpent,  was  a  prophecy.  The  living  bread  is  Christ.  They 
asked  for  this  true  bread  when  it  was  already  present 
with  them  and  they  only  needed  to  exercise  their  faith  in 
possessing  the  living  food.  Jesus  had  brought  it,  and  that 
was  His  part ;  they  must  accept  it,  and  that  was  their  part. 
Such  is  the  case  sometimes  when  the  sinner  agonizes  be- 
fore the  Father  to  be  received  by  Him  when  the  Father 
has  already  said,  "Flim  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no  wise 
cast  out,"  and  is  pleading  with  the  whole  human  race  to 
come.  He  wants  our  faith  and  obedience  rather  than  our 
agony  and  sacrifice.  The  sinner  does  not  need  to  plead 
with  the  Father  to  receive  him,  for  the  Father  is  pleading 
with  the  sinner,  who  is  asked  to  make  an  unconditional 
surrender.  On  doing  that  the  promise  is,  'T  will  raise 
him  up  at  the  last  day."  Regeneration  and  resurrection 
are  thus  bound  together. 

He  draws  men  by  the  Gospel,  for  "it  is  the  power  of  God 
unto  salvation,"2i  and  the  human  will  yields  to  the  demand. 
Eating  and  drinking  is  not  merely  one,  two  or  half  a 
dozen  acts,  but  it  is  a  continuous  growth  into  the  likeness 
of  Jesus— feeding  upon  His  Word,  which  is  spirit  and  life. 
Concerning  eating  His  flesh  and  drinking  His  blood.  Dean 

''John  6 :  28.     -''Ro.  i :  17.     ==^Ro.  i :  16. 


John  5  to  12.  255 

Stanley  said :  'This  is  one  of  those  starthng  expressions 
used  by  Christ  to  show  us  that  He  intends  to  drive  us  from 
the  letter  to  the  spirit,  by  which  He  shatters  the  crust  and 
shell  in  order  to  force  us  to  the  kernel.  It  is  as  if  He  said, 
It  is  not  enough  for  you  to  see  the  outward  face  of  the 
Son  of  Man  or  hear  His  outward  words — or  touch  His 
outward  vesture.  That  is  not  Himself.  It  is  not  enough 
that  you  walk  by  His  side,  or  hear  others  talk  of  Him  or 
use  terms  of  affection  and  endearment  toward  Him.  You 
must  go  deeper  than  this ;  you  must  go  to  His  very  inmost 
heart,  to  the  very  core  and  marrow  of  His  being.  You 
must  not  only  read  and  understand,  but  you  must  work, 
learn  and  inwardly  digest  and  make  part  of  yourselves 
that  which  alone  can  be  part  of  the  human  spirit  and  con- 
science.' It  expresses  with  regard  to  the  life  and  death  of 
Jesus  Christ  the  same  general  truth  as  is  expressed  when 
Saint  Paul  says.  Tut  ye  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ' — that  is, 
clothe  yourself  with  His  spirit  as  with  a  garment,  or  again, 
'Let  the  same  mind  be  in  you  that  was  in  Christ  Jesus.'  It 
is  the  same  general  truth  as  when  our  Lord  Himself  says, 
T  am  the  Vine ;  ye  are  the  branches.'  " 

The  Feast  of  Tabernacles  or  Booths  {7 '-2;  Lev. 
23:34). — This  was  one  of  the  three  great  national  Fes- 
tivals among  the  Jews,  also  sometimes  called  the  ''Feast 
of  Ingathering."--  It  was  observed  for  seven  days,  be- 
ginning with  the  fifteenth  day  of  Tisri,  the  seventh  month, 
corresponding  in  time  to  our  October,  and  in  purpose  some_ 
what  to  our  national  Thanksgiving  Day,  marking  the  com- 
pletion of  the  harvest  of  fruit,  oil  and  wine.  The  eighth 
day  was  a  holy  convocation,-^  and  was  "the  great  day  of 
the  Feast."24 


"Ex.  23  :  16.     ''Lev.  23  :  34-36.      "John  7  :  37. 


256  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

During  the  Feast  they  dwelt  in  booths,  or  tabernacles, 
made  of  the  branches  of  the  trees,  erected  on  the  flat  roofs 
of  the  houses,  in  the  public  squares  and  streets  of  the  city 
and  in  the  courts  of  the  Temple,  reminding  them  of  the 
days  when  their  fathers  dwelt  in  booths  in  the  wilderness.-'' 
Sacrifices  were  more  numerous  at  this  Feast  than  at  any 
other.-®  According  to  Edersheim,  the  four  great  golden 
candelabra  in  the  Court  of  the  Women  were  lighted,  water 
was  brought  from  the  pool  of  Siloam  as  a  solemn  libation 
at  the  altar,  the  Law  was  publicly  read,  there  w^ere  daily 
processions  around  the  altar  and  the  Hallel-"^  was  sung,  and 
also  Psalms  105,  29,  50,  94,  81  and  82. 

The  Request  of  His  Half-brothers  (7'3-5)-— 
James,  Joseph,  Simon  and  Judas-^  were  his  half-brothers, 
who  did  not  at  that  time  believe  that  He  is  the  Messiah, 
and  even  sneered  at  Him,  although  after  His  resurrection 
they  did  believe.-^  Their  request  was  a  rebuke  to  Jesus 
for  staying  out  of  Judaea,  which  was  the  center  of  religious 
worship,  and  also  it  was  a  challenge  to  Jesus  to  put  Him- 
self to  a  test  before  the  public,  and  so  was  a  repetition  of 
the  second  temptation  suggested  by  Satan,  and  in  a  more 
subtle  form.^^  Faith  is  based  upon  that  which  is  not  seen 
with  the  physical  eye."*^ 

His  Time  and  Their  Time  (7:6,  8). — It  appears  to 
many  that  Christ  should  have  come  long  before  He  did, 
but  we  are  told  that  He  came  ''in  the  fulness  of  tinie""^- — 
the  time  that  Divine  wisdom  had  appointed ;  and  so  His 
manifestation  to  the  public  was  not  to  be  regulated  by  hu- 
man policy,  but  likewise  by  Divine  wisdom.  At  the  proper 
time  He  told  His  apostles  of  His  coming  Passion  and  the 

='Lev.  23  :  39-44.  '"Acts  i :  14;  i  Cor.  9 :  s ;  Gal.  i :  19. 

^*Nu.  29 :  12-34.  '"Mt.  4 :  5-7. 

"Psas.  113-118.  ''Heb.  11  :i. 

''^Mt.  13:55.  ^=Gal.  4:4. 


John  5  to  12.  257 

public  of  His  Messiahship.  In  His  death  He  showed  the 
Father's  love  for  the  lost  race,  and  in  His  resurrection  the 
Father's  power  over  sin  and  death.  On  His  return  to  the 
earth  He  will  reveal  Himself  to  all.^^  Such  was  His  es- 
tablished programme,  but  with  His  half-brothers  it  was 
different,  as  it  is  with  the  whole  human  race.  Their  time 
is  always  ready,  for,  being  lost,  they  should  have  been  seek- 
ing salvation.     To-day  is  the  Gospel  time.^^* 

The  Works  of  the  World  {7:7). — The  world  was 
absolutely  lost  until  Jesus  came,  and  all  that  part  of  the 
world  now  out  of  Christ  is  lost,  for  there  is  salvation  in 
none  other  Name.^^  Jesus  testified  against  the  works  of  the 
world.^^  The  Holy  Spirit  was  sent  to  convict  the  world 
of  sin.^^  Paul  said  that  Satan  is  the  god  of  this  world  f"" 
John  said  that  the  whole  world  lieth  in  the  evil  one;"^ 
James  said  that  friendship  with  the  world  is  enmity  against 
God  ;^*'  it  is  further  said,  'Tf  any  man  love  the  world,  the 
love  of  the  Father  is  not  in  him ;"  and  "the  world  passeth 
away  and  the  lust  thereof,  but  He  that  doeth  the  will  of 
God  abideth  forever."*^ 

The  Education  of  Jesus  (7:  14-24). — The  Jews  rec- 
ognized the  value  of  education.  The  Law  required  that 
the  parents  should  teach  their  children.*^  One  of  their 
ancient  rabbis,  Salomo,  said,  "A  father  had  as  well  bury 
his  son  as  neglect  his  instruction,"  and  Josephus  said, 
''Our  chief  ambition  is  for  the  nurture  of  our  children." 
In  the  Apocrypha  it  is  said  that  the  emissaries  of  An- 


^^Mt.  24 :  27 ;  2  Thess.  1:7;  Rev.  i :  7. 

^^Heb.  3:15. 

^•^Ro.  3:23;  I  John  5:  19;  Acts  4:  12. 

^^Mt  5:20;  6:  I,  2,  5,  6,  16;  7:  22;  12:  39-45;  Lu.  10:  12-16;  11 : 

45-54- 

"John  16 :  8,  9.  ^•'Jas.  4 :  4. 

^*2  Cor.  4:4.  "i  John  2:  15,  17. 

^'i  John  5:  19.  ""Du.  6:6,  7. 


258  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

tiochus  found  costly  copies  of  the  Scriptures  in  many 
homes  throughout  Judah,^^  and  it  is  very  likely  that  there 
was  a  copy  of  the  Old  Testament  in  the  home  at  Nazareth. 
At  the  age  of  six  boys  were  sent  to  the  school  which  ad- 
joined the  synagogue,  and  synagogues  were  in  every  vil- 
lage, where  they  were  taught  the  elementary  branches  and 
the  Law,  the  school  being  called  the  House  of  the  Book  be- 
cause the  chief  study  was  the  one  Book. 

Students  for  the  priesthood  went  to  some  of  the  col- 
leges, the  leading  college  being  in  Jerusalem,  and  there 
they  studied  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures  and  the  Tal- 
mud. Paul  was  educated  at  such  a  school  when  he  said 
that  he  was  brought  up  at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel.**  The 
teacher  occupied  an  elevated  seat,  while  the  scholars  sat 
in  a  circle  on  the  floor,  but  Jesus,  not  being  educated  for 
a  rabbi,  did  not  attend  any  of  these  theological  colleges. 
He  was  what  is  commonly  called  '*a  lay  preacher."  His 
education  was  confined  to  the  instruction  that  He  had  re- 
ceived in  His  home  and  in  the  elementary  school  of  the 
synagogue.  He  appears  to  have  spoken  Greek,  Aramaic, 
and  perhaps  Hebrew ;  and  it  is  said  that  He  ''advanced  in 
wisdom  and  stature  and  in  favor  with  God  and  man."*^ 
He  was  divinely  equipped  with  the  mission  and  the  mes- 
sage of  life.  God-made  men  for  the  ministry  is  one  of 
the  greatest  needs  of  the  Church  to-day.  Neither  theolog- 
ical schools  nor  ordination  can  make  preachers,  but  a  deep 
knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  and  the  positive  indwelling  of 
Christ  will  equip  any  man  for  the  work  of  the  ministry. 
All  branches  of  knowledge  are  of  value,  but  the  knowledge 
of  the  Scriptures  is  pre-eminent,  and  the  best  credentials 
that  a  man  can  present  are  words  and  conduct  in  keeping 
with  the  Holy  Oracles. 

*"!  Mac.  1 :  56,  57.     "Acts  22 :  3.     "^Lu.  2 :  52. 


John  5  to  12.  259 

The  Living  Water  (7:37-/^4). — It  was  customary 
during  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  for  the  rabbis  to  fetch 
water  in  a  golden  pitcher  from  the  pool  of  Siloam,  and, 
amid  the  excitement  of  a  vast  throng,  it  was  poured  upon 
the  Temple  altar  as  a  solemn  libation,  reminding  the  Jews 
of  the  miraculous  supply  of  water  in  the  wilderness  from 
the  smitten  rock  in  Horeb  and  Meribah.  Jesus  cried  above 
the  noise  of  the  throng  that  the  way  to  the  living  water 
was  by  faith  in  Himself. 

"I  heard  the  voice  of  Jesus  say, 
Behold  I  freely  give 
The  living  water — thirsty  one, 
Stoop  down,  and  drink,  and  live. 

"I  came  to  Jesus  and  I  drank 
Of  that  life-giving  stream : 
My  thirst  was  quench'd,  my  soul  revived, 
And  now  I  live  in  Him." 

This  living  water  is  the  Holy  Spirit,  whose  special  mis- 
sion did  not  begin  until  the  day  of  Pentecost.*^  As  has 
been  said  before,  the  Holy  Spirit,  like  the  Son,  was  in  the 
beginning.  The  Son  began  His  work  of  redemption  when 
He  was  born  of  Mary  in  Bethlehem;  the  Holy  Spirit  be- 
gan His  mission  of  conviction  and  sanctification  when  He 
descended  on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  Before  the  special 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  could  begin,  Christ  had  to  die; 
He  had  to  be  raised  from  the  dead,  and  He  had  to  be  glori- 
fied in  Heaven.  All  this  having  been  done,  the  Holy 
Spirit  descended  to  Plis  task.  Said  Luther,  "So  Saint 
Peter,  by  one  sermon  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  as  by  a  rush- 
ing water,  delivered  3000  men  from  the  devil's  kingdom, 
washing  them  in  an  hour  from  sin,  death  and  Satan."  The 
reference  to  the  living  water  implies  that  it  shall  flow  from 

'"Acts  2. 


26o  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

the  recipient  unto  others.     This  is  a  principle  of  Christi- 
anity, and  is  so  of  all  virtues.     Said  Lowell, — 

"As  one  lamp  lights  another,  nor  grows  less, 
So  nobleness  enkindleth  nobleness." 

The  Woman  Taken  in  Adultery  (7:53-8:11).— 
Through  an  error  in  dividing  the  book  of  John  by  chap- 
ters and  verses,  the  last  verse  of  the  seventh  chapter  was 
cut  off  from  the  opening  of  the  eighth  chapter,  where  it 
should  have  been  the  first  verse.  It  presents  a  striking 
contrast.  Others  had  homes,  but  the  homeless  Jesus  went 
to  the  Mount  of  Olives  for  His  place  of  rest,  and  there  un- 
der the  midnight  sky  He  wrapped  His  cloak  about  Him 
and  lay  down  to  sleep. 

Next  morning  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  brought  into 
the  Temple  to  Jesus  a  sinful  woman.  The  Law  required 
that  the  man  who  had  caused  the  woman's  downfall  should 
be  punished  equally  with  her,*^  but,  like  modern  society, 
they  had  let  the  man  go,  and  only  the  woman  was  charged 
with  being  a  sinner,  who  appears  to  have  been  betrothed, 
for  stoning  was  commanded  only  for  unfaithfulness  in  a 
betrothed  virgin.*^  Unchastity  was  general  and  unre- 
strained among  all  classes. 

To  them  it  was :  Should  Jesus  oppose  the  obedience  to 
the  Law,  they  would  charge  Him  with  blasphemy ;  should 
He  command  its  enforcement,  He  would  arouse  antagon- 
ism among  His  disciples,  some  of  whom  had  been  harlots, 
so  what  appeared  to  them  as  a  trap  was  easily  handled  by 
Jesus  and  they  themselves  were  entrapped.  The  Law  re- 
quired that  the  witnesses  should  cast  the  first  stones." 
Jesus  brought  them  to  a  test,  and  they  knew  that  He  knew 
their  unchaste  lives.  To  the  woman  He  gave  mercy  and 
admonition,  although  there  is  no  evidence  that  He  gave 

"Lev.  20  :  10.    '^Du.  22  :  23,  24.     '''Du.  17  :  5-7. 


John  5  to  12.  261 

her  pardon,  inasmuch  as  she  appeared  to  be  only  ashamed 
and  not  penitent,  but  He  broke  not  the  bruised  reed. 

Discourse  in  the  Temple  (8:  12-59). — Amid  a  vast 
crowd  and  standing  under  the  light  from,  the  two  great 
candelabra  in  the  Court  of  the  Women  in  the  Temple, 
which  was  lighted  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  to  com- 
memorate the  pillar  of  fire  in  the  wilderness,  Jesus  began 
one  of  His  most  memorable  sermons  by  saying,  'T  am  the 
Light  of  the  World."  In  the  Talmud,  "The  Light"  was  one 
of  the  titles  of  the  Messiah,  so  with  the  burning  can- 
delabra above  Him,  which,  according  to  the  rabbis,  could 
be  seen  from  all  parts  of  Jerusalem,  and  taking  up  one  of 
their  traditions,  Jesus  proclaimed  His  Messiaship.  This 
sermon  presents  perhaps  the  sharpest  controversy  that 
Jesus  ever  held  with  His  enemies,  and,  like  His  usual  ut- 
terances in  Jerusalem,  it  is  severe  in  tone,  in  marked  con- 
trast to  His  gentle  speech  to  His  willing  disciples  in 
Galilee.  The  Court  of  Women  was  so  called,  not  because 
women  only  entered  there,  but  because  the  women  could 
go  no  further  in  the  Temple.  In  this  room  there  were  thir- 
teen chests,  in  which  offerings  were  made,  and  "the  treas- 
ury" may  have  been  this  room  or  an  adjoining  room. 

The  sermon  is  as  follows:  (i)  The  light — 8:  12;  (2) 
the  witness  of  His  supernatural  origin — 13-20;  (3)  belief 
in  Him  necessary  to  the  pardon  of  sins — 21-30;  (4)  the 
freedom  of  discipleship— 31-36;  (5)  the  true  children  of 
Abraham— 37-40;  (6)  the  children  of  the  devil— 41-50; 
(7)  there  is  no  death  to  the  behever— 51-55  ;  (8)  the  pre- 
existence  of  Jesus — 56-59. 

The  Jews  had  been  in  national  bondage  from  the  days 
of  the  Babylonian  captivity,  covering  more  than  600  years, 
and  at  that  time  they  were  under  the  yoke  of  Rome ;  they 
had  been  in  the  bondage  of  idolatry,  and  they  were  then  in 


2(^2  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

bondage  of  the  traditions  of  the  rabbis.  ''Ye  shall 
know  the  truth" — the  mighty  facts — concerning  the  love 
of  God,  the  dignity  of  man  and  the  certainty  of  immor- 
tality. Every  sinner  is  a  slave.^^  He  does  not  know.  As 
Alford  said,  "The  death  of  the  body  is  not  reckoned  as 
death  any  more  than  the  Hfe  of  the  body  is  Hfe  in  our 
Lord's  discourses,"  so  physical  slavery  was  secondary  to 
spiritual  slavery.  Soul  slavery  is  abolished  by  faith  in 
Jesus  and  obedience  to  His  commandments,  as  a  boy  is 
emancipated  from  the  slavery  of  mental  ignorance  by  dili- 
gent application  to  his  studies.  Obedience  to  one  com- 
mandment makes  it  easier  to  obey  the  next  as  obedience  to 
the  first  rule  in  arithmetic  makes  it  easier  to  understand  the 
second  rule  and  work  the  sums  under  that  rule. 

The  objective  personality  of  the  devil  is  nowhere  more 
clearly  taught  than  in  this  controversy,  and  his  fall  is  dis- 
tinctly implied,  for  he  could  not  stand  in  the  truth.^^  We 
become  sons  of  God  through  faith  in  Christ,^-  and  in  like 
manner  we  become  sons  of  the  devil  by  adopting  his  prin- 
ciples and  showing  forth  the  spirit  that  has  characterized 
his  rule  in  the  world.  Abraham  saw  the  day  of  Christ  in 
prophecy.  The  'T  am"  is  a  reference  to  God's  ancient 
name."^  The  cares  of  a  sin-burdened  world  weighed  so 
heavily  upon  the  sad  heart  of  Jesus  as  to  make  Him  ap- 
pear older  than  He  was.^*  They  sneeringly  referred  to 
the  dishonorable  rumors  regarding  His  birth,°^  con- 
temptuously called  Him  *'a  Samaritan,"  charged  Him  with 
being  possessed  of  a  demon,  and  finally,  in  uncontrolled 
rage,  they  began  to  stone  Him. 

Discourse  on  the  Good  Shepherd  (io:  1-21).— The 
opening  of  this  sermon  more  nearly  approaches  a  parable 

■^Ro  7 :  9-24.     y^l  3  :  26 ;  Ro.  8 :  14-17.     "John  8 :  57. 
"John  8:44.     "Ex.  3:14.  ^=John8:4i. 


John  5  to  12.  263 

than  any  other  of  the  utterances  of  Jesus  that  are  reported 
by  John.  It  was  a  picture  famiHar  to  every  Jew.  The 
sheepfold  was  usually  a  stone  enclosure,  sometimes  with 
the  walls  covered  by  sharp  thorns  to  protect  the  sheep  at 
night  from  wolves  and  robbers.  The  door  was  for  the 
sheep  and  the  shepherd ;  any  other  entrance  indicated  rob- 
bery. The  shepherd  was  an  Old  Testament  term,  refer- 
ring sometimes  to  the  Ldrd^^  and  sometimes  to  both  the 
true  and  the  false  teachers.^^ 

The  sermon  and  its  results  may  be  divided  as  follows: 
( I )  The  picture  of  the  sheepfold— 10 :  1-6 ;  (2)  Jesus  com- 
pares His  mission  with  that  of  the  rabbis— 7-1 1 ;  (3)  He 
tells  of  His  service— 12-18;  (4)  result  of  the  sermon— 
19-21. 

The  Good  Shepherd  is  the  most  beloved  figure  that  Jesus 
ever  gave  of  Himself,  bearing  tenderness  and  help  to  the 
bruised  and  burdened.  In  the  Catacombs  many  of  the 
tombs  of  the  saints  are  adorned  with  the  designs  of  the 
true  Shepherd  carrying  the  lost  lambs.  Jesus  represents 
Himself  at  once  as  the  Door,  the  Pasture,  the  Good  Shep- 
herd and  the  Sacrifice,  implying  entrance,  food,  guardian- 
ship and  salvation. 

All  who  falsely  claimed  Divine  authority,  all  who  sought 
worldly  wisdom  as  the  highest  standard  of  appeal,  all  who 
substitute  human  knowledge  for  Divine  truth,  are  thieves 
and  robbers.  The  hireling  is  not  one  who  is  paid  in 
money,  but  one  who  serves  for  money  and  cares  about  his 
own  interest  above  that  of  the  flock.  There  are  too  many 
such  shepherds  of  this  class  throughout  the  modern 
Church.  The  shepherd  is  to  be  an  example  as  well  as  a 
teacher."*^  The  "other  sheep"  was  a  reference  to  the  Gen- 
tiles.^^    In  the  giving  of  His  life  in  the  great  sacrifice  of 

^Isa.  40:  11;  Isa.  63:  II.     ''i  Cor.  11:  i;  i  Thess.  1:6;  2:7-12. 
"Jer.  23:  1-4;  Ezek.  34.       °'Acts  10:  35- 


264  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

His  incarnation  and  crucifixion  He  would  receive  it  again 
in  the  great  host  of  Hves  redeemed  by  His  sacrifice.  His 
right  to  gather  the  harvest  of  the  redeemed  is  made  equal 
to  His  right  of  making  His  sacrifice. 

Discourse  at  the  Feast  of  Dedication  ( 10:22-42). — 
The  Feast  of  Dedication  was  established  by  Judas  Mac- 
cab^eus  in  164  B.  C.  in  commemoration  of  the  cleansing  of 
the  Temple  after  the  desecration  by  Antiochus  Epiphanes 
three  years  before.  It  was  observed  on  the  25th  of  Chis- 
leu,  the  ninth  month,  corresponding  to  our  December,  and 
it  lasted  eight  days,  throughout  which  time  the  Jews 
lighted  their  houses,  and  so  it  was  sometimes  called  the 
"Feast  of  Lights."  Solomon's  porch  was  the  only  part  of 
the  Temple  that  was  not  entirely  destroyed  by  the  Baby- 
lonians in  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  in  586  B.  C. 

The  Jews  opened  their  attack  upon  Jesus  by  asking  Him 
the  same  question  that  was  asked  by  Caiaphas  in  the  trial.^*^ 
Said  Bodet,  "Their  fixed  design  was  not  to  leave  Him  at 
liberty  until  He  should  have  uttered  the  decisive  word." 
Eternal  life  is  the  free  gift  of  God  through  Christ  Jesus 
our  Lord,^^  and  it  is  received  by  faith  and  obedience.*^^  So 
long  as  the  believer  trusts  in  Christ,  he  is  absolutely  safe 
from  internal  and  external  assaults.^^  In  Psa.  82 : 6  it 
is  said, — 

''I  said,  ye  are  gods 
And  all  of  you  sons  of  the  Most  High." 

which  was  a  reference  to  the  unjust  judges  of  Israel  in 
the  reform  under  King  Jehoshaphat,  the  judges  having 
been  called  "gods"  by  them.  If  these  were  gods,  accord- 
ing to  their  unbroken  Scripture,  much  more  was  Jesus 
the  Son  of  God. 


"Mt.  26 :  63.       «=John  1:12;  Acts  2 :  38. 
'Ro.  6 :  23.        -^i  Cor.  10  :  13  ;  Phil.  4 :  19. 


John  5  to  12.  265 

The  Anointing  of  Jesus  by  Mary  (12:1-8;  Mt. 
26  :  6-13  ;  Mk.  14 :  3-9). — Matthew  said  that  it  occurred  in 
the  house  of  Simon  the  leper,  who  doubtless  had  been 
healed  of  his  loathsome  disease  by  Jesus,  and  the  term 
*'leper,"  like  that  of  "publican"  in  connection  with  Mat- 
thew, was  used  simply  to  identify  him,  Simon  being  a  very 
common  name  among  the  Jews.  He  may  have  been  the 
father  of  the  Bethany  home,  or  perhaps  being  dead,  his 
name  was  mentioned  because  of  his  prominence.  It  was 
customary  to  anoint  the  head  of  distinguished  guests  who 
came  to  a  meal,  but  Mary  anointed  both  the  head  and  the 
feet  of  Jesus  and  wiped  His  feet  with  her  unbound  hair, 
which  must  have  caused  surprise,  for  unbound  hair  was 
usually  the  mark  of  harlotry  among  the  Jews,  but  here  the 
whole  transaction  was  the  expression  of  the  purest  and  the 
deepest  love. 

The  ointment  called  "nard"  or  "spikenard"  was  a  very 
fragrant  oil  procured  from  a  plant  growing  in  India,  and 
was  highly  prized  among  the  ancients,  who  anointed  them- 
selves several  times  a  day,  and  frequently  carried  with 
them  a  little  box  of  ointment.  According  to  Pliny,  it  was 
usually  of  red  color,  sweet  smell  and  pleasant  taste.  A 
shilling  being  equal  to  seventeen  cents,  the  quantity  used 
upon  Jesus  was  worth  little  more  than  $50.00,  or,  in  com- 
parison with  the  value  of  money  now,  since  a  shilling  was 
the  price  of  a  day's  labor,  it  was  fully  $300.  The  rebuke 
of  Jesus  to  Judas  appears  to  have  so  aroused  his  animosity 
that  he  began  to  plan  to  retaliate  by  betraying  Jesus  into 
the  hands  of  His  enemies,  for,  according  to  Matthew,  his 
conspiracy  immediately  followed.®*  It  was  customary  to 
anoint  the  bodies  of  the  dead  before  burial. 


"Mt.  26:14-16. 


266  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

[For  the  triumphal  entry  into  Jerusalem,  see 
Mk.  II :  i-io.] 

The  Last  Public  Discourse  of  Jesus  (12:20-30).— 
Three  Greeks  appear  to  have  been  proselytes  to  the  Jewish 
religion.  Philip,  being  a  Greek  name,  may  indicate  that 
his  parents  once  lived  among  the  Greeks,  which  made  a 
bond  between  the  Greek  proselytes  and  himself.  Stier  saw 
a  similarity  in  their  visit  to  that  of  the  Wise-men — one 
coming  to  the  cradle  and  the  other  to  the  Cross.  It  was 
a  tradition  that  these  Greeks  were  an  embassy  from  Ab- 
garus,  king  of  Edessa,  in  Mesopotamia,  inviting  Jesus  to 
come  both  to  heal  him  of  a  long-standing  disease  and  to 
share  his  royal  palace. 

It  was,  however,  a  prophecy  of  the  Gentiles  seeking 
Jesus,  and  it  becomes  the  occasion  for  His  last  public  dis- 
course, in  which  He  announced  the  hour  of  His  sac- 
rifice^^ and  the  manner  of  His  death. ®^  Then  the  biog- 
rapher commented  upon  the  unbelief  as  prophesied  by 
Isaiah,  who,  looking  through  seven  centuries,  saw  what 
the  blinded  eyes  of  the  rabbis  could  not  see,  though  the 
glory  was  present  with  them,^^  and  Jesus  declared  His 
oneness  with  the  Father  and  a  joint  belief  in  them  as  es- 
sential to  eternal  life.^'^ 

Wheat  in  the  granary  is  useless.  It  must  be  buried  to 
become  useful,  when  it  reproduces  itself  in  greater  power. 
The  fruitfulness  of  Jesus  came  out  of  His  death  and  resur- 
rection. Our  best  service  is  beyond  the  tomb.  Sacrifice 
is  the  great  spiritual  law  of  human  life.  Service  to  Christ 
begins  in  following  Christ.  Three  times  God's  voice  zvas 
heard— at  His  baptism,  at  His  transfiguration  and  here 
under  the  shadow  of  the  Cross.     Satan  is  the  prince  of  this 

"^John  12 :  23-30.     "John  12  :  36-43. 
John  12 :  31-36.     ""John  12 :  44-50. 


John  5  to  12.  267 

world.^®  Jesus  was  lifted  up  on  the  Cross,  up  from  the 
grave  and  up  into  Heaven.  They  could  not  believe  be- 
cause wilful  disobedience  had  blinded  their  eyes  and 
hardened  their  hearts,  nevertheless  many  of  their  rulers 
believed,  among  them  was  Nicodemus  and  Joseph  of 
Arimathaea.  The  words  of  Jesus  will  be  the  book  of  final 
appeal  in  the  last  judgment. 


O  Thou  Shepherd  of  my  soul.  Thou  has  revealed  to  me 
Thy  arm  of  strength  and  Thy  heart  of  pity.  Thy  voice  is 
to  me  sweeter  than  music,  and  Thy  presence  inflames  my 
soul.  I  know  that  Thou  art  the  truth,  and  that  out  of  my 
grave  I  shall  leap  to  meet  Thee  with  joy.  Thou  art  my 
Guardian  as  I  walk  this  human  pathway,  and  Thou  art  my 
Hope  as  I  look  above.  Out  of  Thy  sacrifice  has  come  my 
redemption,  and  out  of  my  obedience  has  come  my  pardon. 
The  bread  of  life  is  my  food  and  the  water  of  life  is  my 
drink,  and  beneath  the  light  of  Thy  love  I  adore  and  mag- 
nify Thy  holy  name.    Amen. 


Questions. 


I.  Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter.  2.  What  the  title  and  limit  of  this 
division?  3.  Name  the  chapters  of  this  division.  4.  What  of  the 
period  of  this  division?  5.  Explain  fully  the  three  miracles  of  this 
division.  6.  What  caused  the  Jews  to  desire  to  kill  Jesus  (5  :  t8)  ? 
7.  What  of  the  term  "Verily,  verily"  ?  8.  Why  is  the  Son  able  to 
do  all  things  that  the  Father  does  (5:  19,  20)  ?  9.  Why  is  judg- 
ment given  into  the  hands  of  the  Son  (5:22,  23)?  10.  Explain 
the  resurrection  and  the  judgment.  11.  What  three  witnesses 
does  He  mention  to  sustain  His  mission  (5:32-35;  36,  37-39)? 
12.  What  of  searching  the  Scriptures?  13.  What  of  the  Sea  of 
GaHlee?  14.  Give  the  divisions  in  the  sermon  on  the  bread  of  life. 
15.  Explain  fully  the  meaning  of  this  sermon.     16.  What  was  the 


°2  Cor.  4:4;  Rev.  20: 1-3. 


268  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

result  of  it  (6:60,  66)?  17.  What  of  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles? 
18.  What  of  the  request  of  His  half-brothers?  19.  What  of  His 
time  and  their  time?  20.  What  of  the  works  of  the  world?  21. 
What  of  the  education  of  Jesus?  22.  What  of  the  opinions  con- 
cerning Him  (7:25-36)?  23.  What  of  the  living  water?  24. 
What  the  result  of  this  statement  (7:40-52)?  25.  What  of  the 
sermon  in  the  Temple?  26.  Explain  its  eight  divisions.  27.  Does 
God  hear  the  prayers  of  the  impenitent  sinner  (9:31;  Isa. 
i:  11-15)  ?  28.  What  of  the  sermon  on  the  Good  Shepherd?  29. 
What  of  the  sermon  at  the  Feast  of  Dedication?  30.  What  the 
result  of  this  sermon  (10:39-42)?  31.  To  what  place  did  Jesus 
withdraw  (11:54-57)?  Z'^.  What  of  the  anointing  of  Jesus  by 
Mary?  2>2>-  What  of  the  plot  against  Lazarus  (12:9-11)?  34. 
What  of  the  last  public  sermon  of  Jesus?  35.  Explain  His  refer- 
ence to  His  death  and  resurrection  in  this  division  (8:28; 
12:7-32).  36.  State  the  circumstances  of  the  prayers  of  Jesus  in 
this  division  (11:41,  42  12:27,  28).  -i^-j.  What  is  your  prayer 
amid  the  thoughts  of  this  chapter? 


JOHN. 

III.     The  Last  Supper  and  the  Resurrection,  and 
Jesus  Asking  Peter  for  His  Love.— 13-21. 


"Go  into  the  city  to  such  a  man,  and  say  unto  him,  The  Teacher 
saith,  My  time  is  at  hand ;  I  keep  the  Passover  at  thy  house  with 
my  disciples."— /^^w^  to  Two  of  His  Disciples  (Mt.  26:18; 
Mk.  14:13)  • 


"By  this  shall  all  men  know  that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye  have 
love  one  to  another." — Jesus  (13:35)- 


"If  I  go,  I  will  send  Him  unto  you." — Jesus  Speaking  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  (16:7). 


"I  am  the  Way,  and  the  Truth,  and  the  Life:    no  one  cometh 
unto  the  Father,  but  by  me." — Jesus  (14:6). 


"He  that  hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the  Father." — Jesus  to  Philip 
(14:9). 


"If  ye  shall  ask  anything  in  my  name,  that  will  I  do.  If  ye  love 
me,  ye  will  keep  my  commandments.  And  I  will  pray  the  Father, 
and  He  shall  give  you  another  Comforter,  that  He  may  be  with 
you  for  ever." — Jesus  (14:  14-16). 


"I  am  the  Vine,  ye  are  the  branches :  he  that  abideth  in  me  and 
I  in  him,  the  same  beareth  much  fruit;  for  apart  from  me  ye  can 
do  nothing." — Jesus  (15:  5). 


"That  they  may  all  be  one;  even  as  Thou,  Father,  art  in  me, 
and  I  in  Thee,  that  they  also  may  be  in  us:  that  the  world  may 
believe  that  Thou  didst  send  me.— The  Prayer  of  Jesus  (17 :  21). 


"These  are  written,  that  ye  may  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God;  and  that  believing  ye  may  have  life  in  His 
name." — John  (20:31). 


JOHN. 

III.    The  Last   Supper  and  the  Resurrection,  and 
Jesus  Asking  Peter  for  His  Love. — 13-21. 

There  is  only  one  miracle  in  this  division  outside  of  the 
great  miracle  of  the  resurrection,  and  that  is  the  draught 
of  fishes  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee  (mentioned  only  in  Jno.  21 : 
1-14).  Five  of  the  apostles  and  two  other  disciples  had 
gone  back  to  their  old  business,  not  permanently,  but  for 
a  period,  awaiting  developments  in  the  strange  transac- 
tions that  were  then  passing.  The  night  of  toil  had  been 
as  profitless  as  that  memorable  night  preceding  their  call 
to  follow  Jesus.^  We  may  frequently  find  Jesus  on  the 
shores  of  our  disappointments,  before  whom  we,  too  often, 
are  as  blind  as  those  seven  disciples. 


Markings. — Undermark,  13  :i,  13,20,24,30,34;  14:6,11,18,26;  15: 
2,17,25,26;  16:2,8-11,14,24,26,27,33;  17:9,21;  18:11,22,24,38; 
19:1-3,  11,16,25,30,37;  20:1,18,21,31;  21:4,25;  also  undermark 
the  words  "during  supper"  in  13 :  2 ;  "washed  the  disciples'  feet" 
in  13 :  5 ;  "betray  me"  in  13 :  21 ;  "believe  also  in  me"  in  14:  i ;  "he 
that  hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the  Father"  in  14:9;  "world  cannot 
receive"  in  14:17;  "my  peace"  in  14:27;  "true  vine"  in  15:1; 
"apart  from  me  ye  can  do  nothing"  in  15:5;  "Comforter"  in  16: 
7;  "he  shall  not  speak  of  himself"  in  16:  13;  "a  little  while"  in  16: 
16;  "Father,  the  hour  is  come"  in  17:  i;  "glorify  thou  me"  in  17: 
5;  "keep  them"  in  17:11;  "Kidron"  in  18:1;  "Judas"  in  18:2; 
"Peter"  and  "Malchus"  in  18:  10;  "Annas"  in  18:  13;  "Caiaphas" 
in  18:14;  "I  am  not"  in  18:17,  25;  "denied  again"  in  18:27; 
"Pilate"  in  18:29;  "Behold,  the  man"  in  19:  5;  "Golgotha"  in  19: 
17;  "Hebrew,"  "Latin"  and  "Greek"  in  19:20;  "I  thirst"  in  19: 
28;  "Joseph"  in  19:  38;  "Nicodemus"  in  19:  39;  "Mary"  in  20:  11 ; 
"Jesus"  in  20 :  14 ;  "Rabboni"  in  20 :  16 ;  "doors  were  shut"  in  20 : 
19;  "Thomas"  in  20:24;  "sea  of  Tiberius"  in  21:1;  "multitude 
of  fishes"  in  21:6;  "It  is  the  Lord"  in  21:7;   "lovest  thou  me" 

^Lu.  5:  i-ii. 


272  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

The  Passover  (13:1-18:1;  Mt.  26:17-35;  Mk.  14: 
12-26;  Lu.  22  :  1-39). — From  the  opening  of  the  thirteenth 
chapter  to  the  opening  of  the  eighteenth — five  chapters — 
is  an  account  of  both  the  Last  Supper  and  our  Lord's 
utterances  in  the  Upper  Room,  although  because  of  the 
words,  "Arise,  let  us  go  hence,"  at  the  close  of  the  four- 
teenth chapter,  the  balance  is  thought  to  have  occurred 
elsewhere,  partly  in  the  Temple  and  partly  outside  the 
city  wall,  but  it  is  undoubtedly  a  connected  discourse  and 
presumably  was  uttered  entirely  in  the  Upper  Room.  No 
other  occasion  has  received  so  much  space  in  the  Holy 
Oracles  as  those  sacred  hours  that  reached  from  little  be- 
yond sunset  to  midnight.  No  sweeter  words  ever  fell 
from  the  lips  of  Jesus  than  around  that  table,  which 
Leonardo  da  Vinci  has  given  to  us  under  the  title  of  "The 
Last  Supper." 

The  Passover  was  one  of  the  three  great  Jewish  Feasts 
when  all  the  men  should  appear  before  Jehovah.^  It  was 
to  commemorate  the  angel  passing  over  the  homes  of  the 

in  21 :  15,  16,  17;  "Feed  my  lambs"  in  21 :  15;  "Tend  my  sheep"  in 
21 :  16;  "Feed  my  sheep"  in  21 :  17;  "follow  thou  me"  in  21 :  22. 

Mark,  13:  II,  14,  17,  26,  28;  14:19;  15:22,27;  16:13;  17:20; 
18:6,  15,  40;  19:6,  12,  19,  22,  24,  26,  2-^,  ZZ,  34,  36,  41;  20:3,  9, 
10,  13,  17;  21:  I. 

Personal  mark,  13:35;  14:3,  13-16,  21,  23;  15:4,  7,  8,  10,  14; 
17:3,  15,  17,  18,  24,  26;  20:29. 

Mark  with  the  cross,  13:  21 ;  16:  20;  18:  32;  and  a  large  cross  at 
19 :  18. 

Mark  with  the  cross  crowned,  14:  3,  20,  28;  21 :  22, 

Mark  with  a  large  P,  meaning  prayer,  17:  i. 

Names  of  the  chapters  of  the  third  division  :  13— The  Last  Pass- 
over and  Washing  the  Disciples'  Feet;  14— Promise  of  the  Com- 
forter; 15— The  True  Vine  and  the  Witness  of  the  Comforter; 
i^— The  Mission  of  the  Comforter  who  is  the  Holy  Spirit;  17— 
The  Prayer  of  Jesus ;  18— Arrest  and  Trial  Before  Annas,  Caia- 
phas  and  Pilate;  19— Crucifixion  and  Burial;  20— Resurrection 
and  the  Commission;  21— Miracle  of  the  Fishes  and  Jesus  Asking 
Peter  for  His  Love. 

'Ex.  23  :  14,  17. 


John  13  to  21.  273 

Israelites  when  in  Egyptian  bondage.  Because  Pharaoh 
would  not  allow  the  Jews  to  make  an  offering  of  the  first- 
lings of  their  cattle,  Jehovah  smote  the  first-born  of  the 
Egyptians  and  their  cattle.^  The  Passover  was  celebrated 
on  the  14th  of  the  first  month,  Nisan,  and  the  Feast  of 
Unleavened  Bread  followed  on  the  15th  and  continued 
for  seven  days,^  but  in  the  New  Testament  the  two  Feasts 
appear  to  be  identified  as  one,^  both  referring  to  the  days 
of  Egyptian  bondage.  Great  crowds  attended  this  Feast. 
In  the  year  63  A.  D.  the  high  priest  reported  to  the  Pro- 
curator Cestius  Gallus  that  256,500  lambs  were  slain  at 
that  Passover  and  that  2,700,000  Jews  participated  in  the 
worship.  Women  partook  of  the  Feast,  but  no  uncircum- 
cised  male  was  allowed  to  be  present.® 

Stung  by  the  great  indictment  that  Jesus  had  laid 
against  the  Jevv^ish  rulers,  they  were  holding  secret  con- 
ferences, planning  for  the  killing  of  Jesus;  while  Judas, 
already  disappointed  at  the  poor  prospects  for  establishing 
a  material  kingdom,  out  of  which  he  looked  for  gain,  and 
stung  by  the  rebuke  that  Jesus  had  given  him  concerning 
the  waste  of  the  ointment  that  Mary  had  poured  upon  the 
head  and  feet  of  Jesus,  was  planning  to  get  out  of  the 
apostolic  band  and  to  make  as  much  by  the  deal  as  pos- 
sible. Judas  presented  himself  at  their  conferences  and 
they  paid  him  on  the  spot  thirty  pieces  of  silver,  equal  to 
about  $18.00,  which  was  the  price  of  the  ordinary  slave.^ 

While  these  things  were  going  on,  Jesus  sent  two  of 
His  disciples  into  the  city  to  make  preparation  for  the 
Passover  Supper,  and  instead  of  naming  the  house  of 
Mary,  the  mother  of  Mark,  whose  home  was  the  meeting 
place  in  the  early  days  of  the  Church,*  and  where  tradi- 


'Ex.  12 :  13.  "Ex.  12  :  48. 

*Lev.  23  :  5,  6.  ^Ex.  21 :  32. 

''Mk.  14:  I,  12;  Lu.  22:  I.      ^\cts  12:  12, 


274  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

tion  has  located  the  Upper  Room,  He  concealed  the  meet- 
ing place,  perhaps  for  fear  that  Judas  might  betray  Him 
there  instead  of  later  in  the  night,  and  so  they  were  di- 
rected to  be  guided  by  a  man  carrying  a  pitcher  of  water, 
which  was  unusual,  for  women  generally  carried  the 
water.  The  friend  yielded  to  the  request,  and  the  guest 
chamber  was  put  at  the  disposal  of  Jesus  and  His  apostles. 

According  to  the  Talmud,  the  supper  began  with  mixing 
a  cup  of  wine^  and  giving  of  thanks.  Then  was  set  out 
the  bitter  herbs,  reminding  them  of  the  bitterness  of  Egyp- 
tian bondage,  and  the  crushed  figs  or  other  fruit  mixed 
with  vinegar,  reminding  them  of  the  clay  when  their  an- 
cestors, in  Egyptian  bondage,  made  bricks  without  straw,^*^ 
and  the  unleavened  bread  and  the  lamb.  Then  a  bless- 
ing, and  the  herbs  were  dipped  into  the  dish  and  eaten 
and  a  second  cup  of  wine  was  prepared.  Here  the  head 
of  the  house  explained  the  meaning  of  the  Passover,  and 
perhaps  in  getting  their  places  at  the  table  a  strife  had 
been  precipitated,  and  it  is  presumably  at  this  time  that 
Jesus  got  up  from  the  table  and  washed  the  disciples'  feet, 
which  was  a  courtesy  usually  done  by  the  servants  of  the 
house.  It  was  a  striking  rebuke  to  their  worldly  ambi- 
tion, and  He  reminded  them  that  it  was  "an  example"  for 
their  imitation,  and  once  we  find  mention  of  the  practice 
in  apostolic  times,^^  which  appears  to  be  a  mark  of  hospi- 
tality rather  than  a  Church  ordinance. 

From  this,  however,  feet-washing  began  to  be  practiced 
in  some  quarters  in  the  fourth  century  as  a  perpetual  ob- 
servance among  Christians.  It  is  still  practiced  by  some 
of  the  priests  of  the  Greek  Church;  by  the  Pope,  who 
washes  the  feet  of  twelve  pilgrims  once  a  year  in  Rome, 
and  by  several  Protestant  bodies,   especially  the  Dunk- 

^Lu.  22:17.      "Ex.  5:7.      "i  Tim.  5:10. 


John  13  to  21.  275 

ards  and  Mennonites,  but  in  all  these  cases  the  feet  are 
carefully  washed  before  they  are  washed  in  this  observ- 
ance, which  was  entirely  unlike  the  circumstances  of  Jesus 
washing  the  disciples'  feet.  Those  hands  that  had  healed 
the  blind  and  that  had  touched  the  dead  into  life  now 
handled  with  loving  tenderness  the  soiled  feet  of  all  the 
apostles — even  Judas,  whose  feet  were  perhaps  tired  from 
the  errand  of  betrayal  upon  which  he  had  so  recently  gone. 
It  was  a  lesson  in  the  practice  of  humility,  which  is  one 
of  the  rarest  virtues  and  is  so  much  needed  in  these  days 
of  pride  and  worldly  ambition. 

After  explaining  the  meaning  of  the  Passover,  the  first 
part  of  the  Hallel  was  sung,  which  consisted  of  Psalms 
113-115,  and  the  second  cup  of  wine  was  passed.  Then 
the  head  of  the  house  washed  his  hands,  took  two  loaves 
of  bread,  broke  one,  laid  the  broken  parts  upon  the  whole, 
gave  another  blessing,  and  then  dipped  the  broken  piece 
into  the  crushed  figs,  saying,  "Blessed  be  Thou,  O  Lord 
God,  our  Eternal  King,  who  has  sanctified  us  by  Thy  com- 
mandments and  commanded  us  to  eat."  Then  followed 
the  eating  of  the  bread  and  the  herbs  and  the  lamb.  Here 
Judas  appears  to  have  gone  out,  and  Jesus  foretold  the 
denial  of  Peter,  the  forsaking  of  Him  by  all  of  them,  and 
He  established  a  Feast  in  memory  of  Himself,  which  Paul 
called  "the  Lord's  Supper,"^^  and  ever  since  this  memorial 
supper  has  been  a  power  in  deepening  the  spiritual  life  of 
the  believer. 

While  from  the  Synoptists  it  is  clear  that  this  was  the 
regular  Passover  Supper,  yet  from  some  expressions  in 
John,^^  Farrar  concluded  that  this  Last  Supper  was  not 
the  regular  Passover,  since  it  appears  to  have  been  eaten 
the  day  before  the  legal  date,  but  John  was  doubtless  using 


'^i  Cor.  II  :  20.      "John  13  :  i,  29 ;  18 :  28. 


276  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

the  expression  for  the  entire  week  rather  than  for  one 
day,  which  was  a  tendency  in  the  time  of  Christ  and  still 
more  so  at  the  time  of  John's  writing  his  Gospel.  The  last 
Passover  for  Judaism  was  on  Thursday  evening,  and  on 
Friday  Jesus  became  the  Lamb  slain  for  the  sins  of  the 
whole  world. 

His  Last  Discourse  to  His  Apostles  (13:  31-18:  i). 
^These  four  chapters — 14th,  15th,  i6th  and  17th,  and,  in 
fact,  beginning  with  13 :  31 — are  the  mountain-tops  of 
inspiration.  They  are  the  Holy  Place  of  the  Scriptural 
sanctuary,  and  the  intercessory  prayer  of  the  17th  chap- 
ter is  the  Holy  of  Holies.  All  these  chapters  breathe  the 
air  of  Heaven.  No  ordinary  man  could  have  given  expres- 
sion to  such  thoughts;  none  ever  did  before;  none  ever 
have  since.  They  stand  alone  in  sublime  beauty  and  ex- 
alted heights.  They  are  disclosures  of  the  heart  of  the 
religion  of  Jesus.  They  furnish  one  of  the  mightiest 
arguments  for  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures.  God 
must  have  been  their  author. 

The  Affection  of  Jesus. — Every  word  in  this  dis- 
course was  a  love-throb  from  the  heart  of  Jesus.  More 
people  are  familiar  with  these  chapters,  especially  the 
14th,  than  any  other  in  the  Bible,  because  of  the  deep 
affection  they  breathe  for  the  hungry  heart  of  humanity. 
In  the  opening  of  this  discourse  He  called  Himself  "the 
Son  of  Man,"  as  if  to  emphasize  that  His  heart  is  human 
in  all  its  affections.  He  had  been  tempted  in  all  points, 
therefore  He  was  and  is  touched  by  human  infirmities. 
He  gave  them  the  believer's  badge,i*  and  three  times  He 
directly  asked  them  to  believe  Him,i^  as  though  Himself 
hungering  for  their  affection.  Forty-four  times  He  re- 
ferred to  God  as  "Father,"  besides  calling  Him  by  that 

"John  13:34,  35.     ^^ohn  14:  i,  11;  16:31. 


John  13  to  21.  2^^ 

term  six  times  in  His  prayer.  Once  He  called  the  eleven 
apostles  "little  children/^  which  was  the  only  time  He 
ever  used  this  term  in  speaking  to  His  disciples — the  little 
children  and  the  Father  had  never  been  so  brought  face 
to  face  as  then. 

Philip  became  so  amazed  he  broke  into  the  discourse, 
saying,  *'Lord,  show  us  the  Father  and  it  sufficeth  us,"  as 
Moses  ages  before  had  said,  ''Show  me,  I  pray  thee,  thy 
glory."^'^  Yet  when  Manoah  and  his  wife  saw  only  an 
angel  of  the  Lord,  he  said,  "We  shall  surely  die,  because 
we  have  seen  God."^^  Jesus  met  Philip's  request  as 
calmly  as  He  did  that  of  the  woman  at  the  well.^®  Spirit- 
ual life  rests  upon  faith  rather  than  sight.  It  is  the  human 
vision  that  longs  to  see  the  unknown,  which  the  eye  of 
faith  already  beholds. 

His  Second  Coming  (14:3,  28). — The  mansions  are 
no  such  places  as  houses  of  brick  and  marble.  They  are 
eternal  abiding  places,  and  because  of  the  poverty  of  lan- 
guage there  is  no  term  to  express  their  beauty.  Christ  is 
now  preparing  these,  and  He  will  return  and  receive  us 
for  that  royal  "habitation  which  is  from  Heaven."-*^  It 
was  as  much  as  if,  according  to  Godet,  He  had  said,  "If 
our  separation  were  to  be  an  eternal  one,  I  would  have  fore- 
warned you ;  I  would  not  have  waited  for  this  last  moment 
to  declare  it  unto  you."  Only  for  a  little  while  would  He 
be  away;  then  He  would  send  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  whom 
He  would  dwell  in  their  hearts  through  faith,  and  this 
Spirit  came  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  ;^^  later  He  Him- 
self would  return,  riding  upon  the  clouds  in  great  glory, 
which  is  yet  in  the  future.^- 


"John  13  :  33.  "-'2  Cor.  5  :  2. 

"Ex.  2)Z :  18.  ''Acts  2. 

''Jud.  13:22.  ''Mt.  24:30;  I  Thess.  4:16,  17;  Acts  i:ii. 

"John  4:  26. 


278  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

"I  am  waiting  for  the  dawning 

Of  the  bright  and  blessed  day; 
When  the  darksome  night  of  sorrow 

Shall  have  vanished  far  away ; 
When  for  ever  with  the  Saviour, 

Far  beyond  this  vale  of  tears, 
I  shall  swell  the  song  of  worship 

Through  the  everlasting  years. 

"I  am  looking  at  the  brightness 

(See,  it  shineth  from  afar), 
Of  the  clear  and  joyous  beaming, 

Of  the  "Bright  and  Morning  Star" ; 
Through  the  dark  gray  mist  of  morning 

Do  I  see  its  glorious  light ; 
Then  away  with  every  shadow 

Of  this  sad  and  weary  night. 

'T  am  waiting  for  the  coming 

Of  the  Lord  who  died  for  me : 
Oh !  His  words  have  thrilled  my  spirit, 

T  will  come  again  for  thee.' 
I  can  almost  hear  His  footfall 

On  the  threshold  of  the  door, 
And  my  heart,  my  heart  is  longing 

To  be  His  for  evermore." 

The  One  Way  (14:4,  6).  —  However  valuable  the 
ethnic  religions  may  be,  none  of  them  possesses  a  plank 
that  can  span  the  chasm  of  human  guilt.  Buddhism, 
Brahmanism,  Moslemism  and  every  other  like  religion 
must  bring  their  offerings  of  ''broken  and  contrite  hearts" 
to  Jesus.  He  is  Himself  the  truth  of  all  zve  know  of  the 
Father,  and  consequently  is  both  the  one  way  and  the 
Giver  of  the  one  life.  Walking  His  way  is  not  simply  the 
outward  obedience  of  His  commandments,  but  maintain- 
ing a  vital  union  with  Him  at  every  cost  and  conforming 
to  His  principles,  however  difficult  may  be  the  task.     To 


John  13  to  21.  279 

follow  Him  is  to  be  like  Him  in  heart  and  life,  both  of 
which  have  been  shown  us  in  the  Scriptures.-^ 

Greater  Works  (14:  12). — To  many  persons  the  heal- 
ing of  an  incurable  man  was  more  important  than  the  sav- 
ing of  a  soul,  and  miraculous  healing  is  still  sought  after 
in  some  quarters  as  being  the  greatest  of  works.  Jesus 
did  not  so  regard  it,  and  careful  thought  will  show  that 
He  could  not  have  regarded  it  so.  When  the  seventy  re- 
turned from  their  missionary  tour  rejoicing  over  their 
working  of  miracles,  Jesus  rebuked  them  for  their  short- 
sightedness, saying,  rather  "rejoice  that  your  names  are 
written  in  Heaven.'*^'* 

None  of  His  apostles  worked  any  greater  miracles  than 
Jesus,  but  the  salvation  of  souls  was  and  still  is  the  great- 
est work  in  the  world.  Jesus  laid  the  foundation  for  this 
salvation,  and  at  the  time  of  His  death  perhaps  five  hun- 
dred was  the  entire  number  of  His  disciples.-^  On  the 
single  day  of  Pentecost  there  were  3,000  persons  baptized 
into  Christ,-^  and  as  the  apostles  and  other  disciples  were 
everywhere  preaching  the  Word,  thousands  were  added 
to  the  saved. 

Asking  in  the  Name  of  Jesus  (14:  13;  15: 16;  16: 
26). — In  the  beginning  of  His  ministry,  when  the  dis- 
ciples asked  Him  to  teach  them  how  to  pray,  He  said  unto 
them,  "When  ye  pray,  say  'Father,'-"^  or  'Our  Father ;'  "-^ 
and  now  at  the  close  of  His  ministry  He  Himself  prayed, 
and  four  times  in  His  prayer  He  said  "Father,"  referring 
to  His  great  fatherhood:  once  He  said  "Holy  Father," 
referring  to  His  holiness,  and  once  "O  Righteous  Father," 
referring  to  His  righteousness. 

•TPhil.  3  :  8-14.       '-Acts  2 :  41 ;  Gal.  3  :  27. 
**Lu.  10:17-20.     ''Ln.  11:2. 
^'''i  Cor.  15:6.       -«Mt.  6:9. 


28o  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

So  much  for  the  address  before  the  Throne  of  grace; 
but  a  new  condition  was  now  to  come.  Hitherto  nothing 
had  been  asked  in  the  name  of  Jesus  ;-^  henceforth  all  peti- 
tions were  to  be  made  in  His  name — not  merely  saying  "in 
the  name  of  Jesus"  or  ''for  Jesus'  sake,"  but  praying  from 
the  earth  in  His  steady  as  He  had  gone  into  Heaven,  just  as 
He  would  pray  if  He  were  here  on  the  earth — praying  in 
faith  f^  praying  without  vain  repetitions  f^  praying  out  of 
forgiving  hearts;^-  praying  earnestly ;^^  praying  out  of 
obedient  living;^*  praying  with  full  commitment  of  one's 
ways  unto  the  Lord,^^  and  praying  according  to  the  Di- 
vine will.^^  This,  and  this  alone,  is  praying  in  the  name 
of  Jesus — in  no  instance  controlled  by  personal  interest 
or  personal  gain,  but  first  of  all  for  the  advancement  of 
the  cause  of  Christ,  which  has  been  committed  to  our 
care.^"  With  our  care  for  His  interest  first.  He  will 
abundantly  take  care  of  our  interest.^®  "The  works  that 
I  do  in  my  Father's  name"  is  equivalent  to  works  that  I 
do  in  my  Father's  stead — as  His  representative  and  by  His 
authority  and  with  His  power.  Such  was  prayer  hence- 
forth to  be  to  the  believer — addressed  to  the  Father  from 
His  redeemed  children  by  the  authority  and  power  of  Jesus. 
Words  do  not  make  prayers. ^^ 

As  the  prayer  is  offered  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  likewise  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  the  request  is  granted — by  His  power 
and  His  authority.'*^  "//  ye  shall  ask  anything  in  my 
name,  that  will  I  do.''""^  They  were  perplexed,*-  but  He 
assured  them  that  after  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  they 

slftj""  ^6:24  ^«i  John  5:14.  15. 

Mk.  1 1 :  24 ;  Jas.  i :  5-8.       "Phil.  2:21;  Col.  3  :  i7- 

Mt.  6:7,8.  ^^Mt.  6:33. 

::Mt.  6:14,  15.  ^^Mt.7:2i. 

D"-  4 :  29.  *«John  16 :  23 ;  Mt.  28 :  18. 


I  John  3 -.22.  "John  14:14. 

'P^^a.  37:4,5-  ^-^ohn  16:17,  18. 


John  13  to  21.  281 

would  have  no  need  of  confusion,  for,  said  Trench,  ''Here- 
after they  shall  be  so  taught  by  the  Spirit  as  to  have  noth- 
ing further  to  inquire,"  and  "that  whatsoever  they  shall 
seek  from  the  Father  in  the  Son's  name,  He  will  give  it 
them." 

The  Office  and  Mission  of  the  Holy  Spirit  (14: 
16,  17,  26;  15:26;  16:7-15). — In  this  discourse  He  is 
four  times  called  the  Comforter,  from  the  Latin  word 
cum,  together,  and  fortis,  brave,  meaning  "one  together 
in  bravery,"  which  was  Paul's  conception  when  he  wrote, 
"The  Spirit  also  helpeth  our  infirmity."*^  Three  times  He 
is  called  "the  Spirit  of  truth,"  because  through  Him  alone 
truth  is  given  to  the  human  race.  Our  feelings  fail  us,  as 
does  conscience  and  human  philosophy,  but  the  Spirit  has 
given  us  the  Scriptures,  which  fail  us  not.  "Men  spake 
from  God,  being  moved  by  the  Holy  Spirit."^*  Once  He 
is  called  "the  Holy  Spirit,"  emphasizing  His  holiness  and 
reminding  us  that  the  holiness  of  human  character  can  be 
wrought  out  only  by  His  indwelling.*^  By  the  Spirit  we 
put  to  death  the  doings  of  the  hody^^ 

Many  writers  on  the  Scriptures  have  called  Him  by  the 
Greek  word  Paraclete,  which  is  the  word  translated  Com- 
forter, and  is  from  para,  beside,  and  kaleo,  call,  meaning 
"to  call  to  one's  side."  Out  of  these  terms  and  definitions 
it  is  clearly  seen  that  He  is  such  a  helper  as  was  Jesus 
when  personally  with  His  apostles,  and  so  Jesus  rightly 
called  Him  ''another  Comforter" — Himself  a  helper,  but 
the  Holy  Spirit  also  a  helper  to  us  in  our  brave  struggle 
for  victory  over  sin  and  death. 

Of  the  Holy  Spirit's  coining  Jesus  said  that  He  would 
come  by  His  request — "I  will  pray  the  Father,"-^'  and  He 


'Ro.  8 :  26.  "Ro.  8:13.  -'John  14 :  16. 

*2  Pet.  1:21.       "'Ro.  8:  13. 


282  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

will  be  sent  by  His  authority — '1  will  send  Him  unto 
you,"^^  but  that  He  would  come  from  the  Father — "I  will 
send  Him  unto  you  from  the  Father,  even  the  Spirit  of 
truth,  which  proceedeth  from  the  Father."'*^ 

His  coming  depended  upon  Jesus'  going — '*If  I  go  not 
away,  the  Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you ;  but  if  I  go, 
I  will  send  Him  unto  you."*"^^  Before  this  the  Holy  Spirit 
had  been  given  to  believers  for  special  service,  but  from 
the  day  of  Pentecost^^  the  Holy  Spirit  was  given  to  all 
believers,  and,  as  Alford  said,  the  gift  of  the  Spirit  "is 
something  totally  distinct  from  anything  before  that 
time." 

It  was  best  for  Christ  to  go  away  that  the  Spirit  might 
come — *'It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away."^-  Jesus 
in  Flis  bodily  and  visible  presence,  controlled  by  human 
limitations,  could  only  be  in  one  place  at  one  time.  When 
He  was  with  His  disciples  in  Galilee  He  could  not  be  with 
other  disciples  in  Judaea,  as  now  when  He  was  with  His 
disciples  in  Baltimore  He  could  not  be  with  other  dis- 
ciples in  New  York  or  London,  but  under  the  ministry  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  it  is  entirely  different.  There  are  no 
human  limitations.  By  the  Spirit  He  is  with  all  His  dis- 
ciples in  all  places  and  at  all  times,^^  so  that  "the  dispensa- 
tion of  the  Spirit  is  a  more  blessed  manifestation  of  God 
than  was  even  the  bodily  presence  of  the  risen  Saviour." 
It  is  the  spiritual  presence  of  Jesus — "I  will  not  leave  you 
orphans ;  I  come  unto  you."^* 

In  His  coming  He  zvould  not  speak  by  His  own  author- 
ity— "He  shall  not  speak  from  Himself,  but  what  things 
soever  He  shall  hear,  these  shall  He  speak. "^^  As  Jesus 
declared  that  all  of  His  authority  came  from  the  Father, 
whom  He  sought  to  reveal,  so  the  source  of  the  Spirit's 

;7ohn  i6 :  7.       ="John  16 :  7.       '"'John  16 :  7.       "John  14 :  18. 
7ohn  15  :  26.     "Acts  2  :  8.         ^^Mt.  28 :  20.        '^John  16 :  13. 


John  13  to  21.  283 

authority  was  with  the  Father,  and  the  Spirit  seeks  to 
bring  the  beHever  into  fellowship  with  the  Father. 

He  zvas  to  speak  of  Jesus,  who  is  the  one  theme  of  the 
Scriptures — "He  shall  glorify  me,  for  He  shall  take  of 
mine  and  shall  declare  it  unto  you."^*^  Attention  drawn  to 
the  Church,  rather  than  to  Christ,  which  is  so  common  in 
this  day,  if  not  really  characteristic  of  this  day,  proves 
that  it  is  not  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  magnify- 
ing of  Christ  is  the  office  of  the  Spirit.  He  does  not  add 
to  anything  that  Christ  has  done  or  said — He  simply  re- 
ceives it  and  interprets  it.  Said  Jesus,  "He  shall  bear  wit- 
ness of  me/'^'^ 

He  was  to  both  teach  and  guide — "He  shall  teach  you 
all  things,"^^  referring  to  the  needs  of  the  untaught  human 
heart,  and  "He  shall  guide  you  into  all  the  truth,"^^  refer- 
ring to  the  needs  of  our  pilgrimage  through  this  unknown 
world. 

He  ivas  to  recall  the  past  and  foretell  the  future — "He 
shall  bring  to  your  remembrance  all  that  I  said  unto 
you,"^^  referring  to  the  ground  for  the  inspiration  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  "He  shall  declare  unto  you  the  things  that 
are  to  come,"^^  referring  to  the  New  Testament  prophecy 
as  recorded  in  both  the  Epistles  and  the  Apocalypse.  He 
would  strengthen  their  faith  on  the  one  hand  and  brighten 
their  hope  on  the  other. 

Of  His  work  in  the  world,  Jesus  said  that  the  world 
cannot  receive  the  Holy  Spirit^^  because  the  god  of  this 
world,  who  is  Satan,  has  blinded  the  minds  of  the  unbe- 
lieving.^^ "Except  one  be  born  anew,  he  cannot  see  the 
Kingdom  of  God,"^*  and  further,  "The  natural  man  re- 
ceiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  for  they  are 


f'John  16:  14.  ''John  16:  13.  ''John  14:  I7- 
"John  15  :  26.  '""John  14 :  26.  '^'2  Cor.  4 :  4. 
"■John  14 :  26.      "John  16 :  13.      "John  3  :  3. 


284  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

foolishness  unto  him,  and  he  cannot  know  them,  because 
they  are  spiritually  examined."^^  Only  the  believer  can 
receive  the  Holy  Spirit,*^^  but  by  the  Holy  Spirit  the  ivorld 
is  convicted  of  sin — the  sin  of  their  unbelief  in  wandering 
away  from  God,  of  righteousness,  of  the  absolute  right- 
eousness of  Jesus  as  the  only  Saviour ;  and  of  judgment — 
the  judgment  respecting  Satan,  who  has  been  defeated  in 
both  the  death  and  the  resurrection  of  Jesus,  and  whose 
principles,  contrasted  w4th  those  of  Christ,  have  been 
proven  false  and  unsatisfying  to  the  human  soul,  and  who 
will  be  finally  cast  away,  and  all  his  servants  with  him,  in 
the  final  judgment.  This  office  and  mission  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  that  began  so  magnificently  on  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost, has  continued  to  this  day,  and  will  continue  until 
"this  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom  shall  be  preached  in  the 
whole  world  for  a  testimony  unto  all  the  nations,  and  then 
shall  the  end  come."^^ 

Judas,  Not  Iscariot  ( 14 :  22) . — In  both  Matthew^^  and 
Mark^^  he  is  called  Thaddasus ;  in  Luke'^  and  Acts^^  he  is 
called  Judas,  the  son  of  James.  Three  of  the  apostles 
bore  the  name  Judas — one  Judas  was  called  Iscariot ;  an- 
other Judas,  to  distinguish  him  from  Iscariot,  was  called 
Thomas,  meaning  "the  twin,"  and  still  there  was  another 
Judas,  who  was  called  Thaddaeus,  meaning  "the  courage- 
ous." Only  once  did  he  figure  in  the  Gospel  story,  and 
that  was  when  he  interrupted  Jesus  in  the  discourse  of  the 
Upper  Room,  showing  that  his  idea  of  the  coming  King- 
dom was  like  that  of  the  other  apostles,  namely,  a  temporal 
affair  ruling  independently  of  Rome. 

^i  Cor.  2:14.  ««Mk.  3:18. 

John  14 :  17 ;  1:12;  Acts  2  :  38.      ""Lu.  6 :  16. 

^^•24:14.  ^\cts  1:13. 

''Mt.  10:3. 


John  13  to  21.  285 

The  Peace  of  Jesus  (14:  27).— This  is  the  fruit  of  the 
Spirit^-  Jesus  bore  an  inward  calmness,  irrespective  of 
the  fierce  storms  that  beat  against  Him,  and  He  promised 
this  Divine  serenity  to  His  disciples,  which  they  received, 
as  was  proven  by  the  .after  conduct  of  Peter,  John, 
Stephen,  Paul,  Silas  and  others  under  fierce  persecution.'* 
Jesus  is  the  Prince  of  Peace,  and  peace  is  one  of  the  chief 
marks  of  a  citizenship  in  His  Kingdom— i/  belongs  to  every 
disciple  of  Jesus— pe2ice  with  the  Father,  peace  among 
ourselves  and  peace  amid  the  vexing  circumstances  of 
life_a  heavenly  calmness  that  will  not  yield  to  the  fury  of 
human  passion.  It  was  a  beautiful  benediction— ^/i^  good- 
bye of  Jesus  to  His  apostles. 

The  Prince  of  this  World  ( 14 :  30)  .—Three  times 
John  used  this  term  in  referring  to  Satan,'^  who  is  also 
called  "the  prince  of  the  powers  of  the  air'"^^  and  "the  god 
of  this  world.'"'*^  Concerning  his  coming,  in  Luke  Jesus 
said,  "I  beheld  Satan  fallen  as  lightning  from  Heaven."" 
In  this  discourse  He  said,  'The  prince  of  this  world 
cometh  and  hath  nothing  in  Me;"  in  the  Apocalypse  John 
wrote  on  Satan's  being  cast  out  of  Heaven,  "Woe  for  the 
earth  and  for  the  sea :  because  the  devil  is  gone  down  unto 
you,  having  great  wrath,  knowing  that  he  hath  but  a  short 
time.'"'  He  was  on  the  earth  already,  but  henceforth  his 
power  was  to  be  limited  to  the  earth,  and  finally  he  will  be 
cast  out  forever."^^ 

He  had  no  use  for  Jesus,  since  Jesus  resisted  every 
temptation  and  refused  to  pay  allegiance  to  him,  so  he  be- 

"Gal.  5:22;Ro.8:6.  -2  Cor.  4:4. 

•  "Acts  4 :  19 ;  5  ••  41 ;  7  :  59,  60 ;  16 :  25.      ;  Lu.  10 :  18. 
-John  12:31;  14:30;  16:11.  :Rev.  12:12. 

4ph.  2:2.  -Rev.  20:1-10. 


286  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

came  the  crucifier  of  Jesus  and  the  persecutor  of  His 
saints.®^  Paul  said,  'Tut  on  the  whole  armor  of  God,  that 
ye  may  be  able  to  stand  against  the  wiles  of  the  devil; 
for  our  wrestling  is  not  against  flesh  and  blood,  but 
against  the  principalities,  against  the  powers,  against  the 
world-rulers  of  this  darkness,  against  the  spiritual  hosts 
of  wickedness  in  the  heavenly  places.  Wherefore  take  up 
the  whole  armor  of  God,  that  ye  may  be  able  to  withstand 
in  the  evil  day,  and  having  done  all,  to  stand. "^^ 

Abiding  in  Christ  (15:  i-io). — Among  the  magnifi- 
cent decorations  on  Herod's  Temple  was  a  beautiful 
wreath  of  golden  vines  over  the  gateway.  It  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  Roman  soldiers  on  first  entering  the  city, 
and  they  concluded  that  the  Temple  was  sacred  to  Bacchus  ; 
but  this  was  a  Jewish  emblem  reaching  back  through 
many  centuries,  first  symbolizing  Israel, ^'^  and  later  among 
the  rabbis  it  was  a  symbol  used  for  the  Messiah.  The 
memory  of  this  may  have  been  in  the  mind  of  Jesus,  or  the 
presence  of  the  wine  at  the  Passover  may  have  suggested 
this  figure. 

This  holy  relationship  is  as  close  and  vital  as  that  of 
the  branch  to  the  vine.  He  means  individual  believers,  not 
religious  denominations.  Paul  said,  ''Know  ye  not  that 
your  bodies  are  members  of  Christ  ?"«»  The  believer  is  a 
part  of  Christ  as  truly  as  the  arm  is  a  part  of  the  body.  As 
the  sap  of  the  vine  nourishes  the  branches,  the  life  of  Christ 
nourishes  our  spiritual  being. 


'"Rev.  12:  10.  «^Psa.  80:  8,  14;  Hos.  10:  i. 

"Eph.  6:  11-13.  ^'1  Cor.  6:  15. 


John  13  to  21.  287 

George  Herbert  well  said, — 

"Lord,  Thou  art  mine,  and  I  am  Thine, 
If  mine  I  am;  and  Thine  much  more, 
Then  I  or  ought,  or  can  be  mine. 

Yet  to  be  Thine,  doth  me  restore; 
So  that  again  I  now  am  mine, 

And  with  advantage  mine  the  more. 
Since  this  being  mine,  brings  with  it  Thine, 
And  Thou  with  me  dost  Thee  restore. 
If  I  without  Thee  would  be  mine, 
I  neither  should  be  mine  nor  Thine." 

The  Father  cultivates  the  vineyard.  We  are  fellow- 
workers  with  Him  by  yielding  to  Him.«*  The  fruit  of  the 
vine  is  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit.^'  A  fruitless,  withered 
branch  is  valueless  to  a  vine  as  well  as  a  fruitless  life  is  to 
Christ.  Its  continuance  is  hurtful  to  the  vine,  and  a  care- 
ful vine  dresser  removes  it,  as  the  Father  removes  the 
fruitless  and  withered  branch  from  Christ.  The  Scrip- 
tures are  the  instrument  by  which  the  Father  cleanses  the 
souls  of  men.  It  should  be  a  morning  and  evening  bath  to 
every  believer. 

Abiding  in  Christ  is  not  a  conditional  promise,  but  it  is 
rather  a  twofold  call  to  the  soul— let  Christ  abide  in  you 
and  you  abide  in  Him.  Obey  His  commandments,  bear 
the  fruit  of  His  Spirit,  and  your  abiding  is  accomplished. 
The  believer  has  his  citizenship  in  Heaven.^^  Abiding 
is  from  the  Anglo-Saxon  word  abidan,  implying  a  short 
stay,  waiting  expectantly  for  our  permanent  habitation 
which  He  is  preparing.  Our  abiding  in  Christ  is  our 
earthly  stopping  place.  To  be  out  of  Christ  is  to  be 
away  from  home;  to  be  in  Christ  is  to  be  at  home.  Wrote 
Henrv  Francis  Lyte, — 


"i  Cor.  3  :  9-      ''Gal.  5 :  22,  23.      ""Phil.  3  :  20. 


288  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

"Swift  to  its  close  ebbs  out  life's  little  day; 
Earth's  joys  grow  dim,  its  glories  pass  away; 
Change  and  decay  in  all  around  I  see ; 
O  Thou  who  changest  not,  abide  with  me. 

"I  need  Thy  presence  every  passing  hour ; 
What  but  Thy  grace  can  foil  the  tempter's  power? 
Who,  like  Thyself,  my  guide  and  stay  can  be  ? 
Through  cloud  and  sunshine,  O  abide  with  me !" 

The  Friends  of  Jesus  (15 :  11-17). — This  is  a  term  of 
unusual  sweetness.  In  human  society  love  is  instant; 
friendship  is  of  growth — Jestis  had  been  zmth  these  men 
for  several  years.  Love  is  blind  to  the  faults  in  the  object 
of  its  affection;  friendship  sees  the  faults  and  seeks  to 
correct  them,  that  the  faulty  one  may  be  more  worthy  of 
friendship — Jesus  was  the  Teacher  of  the  eleven.  Love 
is  selfish,  for  in  seeking  the  object  of  its  love  it  seeks  its 
pleasure,  and,  if  denied,  it  becomes  bitter ;  friendship  like- 
wise seeks  the  object  of  its  affection,  but  is  disinterested 
in  receiving  a  return  and  knows  no  limit  to  its  sacrifice — 
Jesus  did  not  lay  down  His  life  on  the  Cross  merely,  but 
throughout  time  and  eternity  as  well.  Love  writhes  in 
agony  when  slighted ;  friendship  has  pity  for  the  wrong- 
doer— although  forsaken  by  all  His  apostles,  Jesus  showed 
pity  for  them  on  the  very  first  day  of  His  resurrection. 

Love  is  found  in  all  stations  of  society ;  friendship  can- 
not exist  in  one  of  ordinary  stamp ;  the  after-service  of  the 
eleven  proved  them  to  have  been  the  manliest  of  the  human 
race.  Love  is  capricious  and  deserts ;  friendship  is  stable 
and  stands  the  fiercest  storms — the  apostles  counted  not 
their  lives  dear  unto  them,  but  laid  them  down  for  Him  as 
He  had  laid  His  down  for  them.  They  were  friends  of 
Jesus. 

Friendship  is  slow  in  its  growth.  It  belongs  to  mature 
years  and  requires  time,  congeniality,  likeness  of  purpose 


John  13  to  21.  .289 

and  lofty  minds.  Said  Emerson,  "A  friend  is  a  person 
with  whom  I  may  be  sincere,  before  whom  I  may  think 
aloud."  Surely  Jesus  had  done  this  with  these  apostles. 
The  first  use  of  this  term  between  man  and  Deity  was  of 
Abraham,  who  was  called  "the  friend  of  God."«^ 

Persecutions  Foretold  (15:18-21;  16:1-4,  33; 
17:  14),— When  the  Thessalonian  Christians  complained 
of  their  hardships  Paul  wrote  them,  *'Let  no  man  be 
moved  by  these  afflictions,  for  yourselves  know  that  here- 
unto we  are  appointed.  For  verily  when  we  were  with 
you  we  told  you  beforehand  that  we  are  to  suffer  afflic- 
tion."«8  pg^gj.  ^^^  JqJ^j^  ^^  being  publicly  beaten  rejoiced 
''that  they  were  counted  worthy  to  suffer  dishonor  for  the 
.  Name."^''  It  is  further  said,  "If  ye  are  without  chasten- 
ing, whereof  all  have  been  made  partakers,  then  are  ye 
bastards  and  not  sons."^«  Paul  enumerated  some  of  his 
hardships  and  persecutions  with  joy — imprisonments,  five 
times  publicly  whipped,  three  times  beaten  with  rods,  once 
stoned,  three  shipwrecks,  perils  from  robbers,  Jews,  Gen- 
tiles and  false  brethren,  sufferings  attending  his  poverty 
and  his  anxiety  for  the  Churches.^* 

Old  soldiers  from  the  battlefield,  with  empty  sleeves 
and  wounded  bodies,  have  related  their  sufferings  and 
dangers,  without  a  thought  of  embitterment  against  the 
government  they  served.  Were  they  to  be  soured,  as 
Christians  sometimes  become  amid  their  hardships  and  ill- 
treatments,  they  would  be  classed  with  deserters  and 
traitors.  Hardships  arc  marks  of  honor.  Said  Paul,  "It 
hath  been  granted  in  the  behalf  of  Christ  not  only  to  be- 
lieve on  Him,  but  also  to  suffer  in  His  behalf."^- 


"Jas.  2  :  23.  ""Heb.  12  :  8. 

^i  Thess.  3  :  3,  4.  "2  Cor.  11 :  18-30. 

*»Acts  5:41.  »=^Phil.  1:29. 


290  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Said  Horatius  Bonar, — 

"  Tis  first  the  true  and  then  the  beautiful, 

Not  first  the  beautiful  and  then  the  true ; 
First  the  wild  moor,  with  rock  and  reed,  and  pool, 
Then  the  gay  garden,  rich  in  scent  and  hue. 

"  'Tis  first  the  good  and  then  the  beautiful, 
Not  first  the  beautiful  and  then  the  good ; 
First  the  rough  seed,  sown  in  the  rougher  soil, 
Then  the  flower-blossom,  or  the  branching  wood. 

"Not  first  the  glad  and  then  the  sorrowful; 

But  first  the  sorrowful  and  then  the  glad ; 
Tears  for  a  day ;  for  earth  of  tears  is  full, 
Then  we  forget  that  we  were  ever  sad. 

"Not  first  the  bright,  and  after  that  the  dark, 

But  first  the  dark,  and  after  that  the  bright ; 

First  the  thick  cloud,  and  then  the  rainbow's  arc. 

First  the  dark  grave,  then  resurrection-light. 

"  'Tis  first  the  night — stern  night  of  storm  and  war — 
Long  night  of  heavy  clouds  and  veiled  skies ; 
Then  the  far  sparkle  of  the  Morning-star, 
That  bids  the  saints  awake  and  dawn  arise." 

The  Prayer  of  Jesus  (17). — The  prayer  commonly 
called  "The  Lord's  Prayer"^^  was  never  prayed  by  Jesus, 
but  was  taught  by  Him  to  His  disciples,  and  so  it  is  more 
properly  called  "the  disciples'  prayer."  The  discourse  of 
the  Upper  Room  closed  with  the  mightiest  prayer  in  sacred 
literature,  and  this  is  rightly  and  distinctively  "The  Lord's 
Prayer."  Out  of  that  holy  conversation,  face  to  face  with 
His  eleven  apostles,  covering  several  hours,  He  turned 
to  the  Father  with  a  petition  unsurpassed  in  sublime 
thought  and  a  holy  encircling  of  His  apostles  and  believ- 
ers through  all  ages,  until  one  feels  that  the  very  light  of 
Heaven  has  set  a  halo  upon  the  brow  of  every  disciple  of 

^Mt.  6:9-13. 


John  13  to  21.  ■    291 

Jesus.     Our  High   Priest  was  indeed  officiating  in  the 
Holy  of  HoHes. 

He  first  prayed  for  Himself  (17:  1-8),  then  for  His 
apostles  (9-19),  and  then  for  all  believers  in  Him 
throughout  all  ages  (20-26). 

He  announced  to  the  Father  that  the  hour  had  come  for 
the  sacrifice  of  Himself  for  the  world's  sin,  and  He  asked 
the  Father  to  glorify  Him — to  enable  Him  to  show 
forth  the  character  of  the  Father  in  His  trial,  His  suffer- 
ings and  His  resurrection.  He  had  done  this  in  His  min- 
istry, and  claimed  the  abiding  glory  for  the  climax  of  His 
humiliation.  He  defined  life  eternal  as  the  knowledge  of 
the  Father  and  Himself.  While  praying  for  His  apostles 
He  excluded  any  petition  for  the  world,  although  later  in 
the  prayer  He  prayed  "that  the  world  may  believe  that 
thou  didst  send  me,"  and  on  the  Cross  He  prayed  for  the 
world.^*  Said  Luther,  "The  most  He  asked  for  the  world 
is  that  it  may  be  converted,  not  that  it  may  be  sanctified 
or  kept." 

The  believer  is  born  from  above  and  is  spiritually  like 
Jesus.  The  origin  of  both  his  life  and  the  life  of  Jesus  is 
from  the  Father,  and  so  the  believer  is  not  of  the  world, 
as  Jesus  was  not  of  the  world,  but  his  mission  in  the  world 
is  to  serve,  as  was  the  mission  of  Jesus.  The  believer  is 
sanctified  by  appropriating  the  Scriptures  to  his  daily  life, 
just  as  Jesus  was  sanctified  by  absolute  obedience  to  the 
Father's  word — identity  of  origin,  mission  and  character. 

He  prayed  for  oneness  among  His  apostles,  but  espe- 
cially among  those  who  would  believe  on  Him  through 
their  word — a  union  among  believers  as  close  and  as  vital 
as  that  between  Himself  and  the  Father,  and  also  a  perfect 
union   with   the   Father — controlled   by   His   Word   and 

'*Lu.  23 :  34. 


ig2 


Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 


guided  by  His  Spirit.  Said  Paul,  "Till  we  all  attain  unto 
the  unity  of  the  faith  and  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Son  of 
God,  unto  a  full-grown  man,  unto  the  measure  of  the 
stature  of  the  fulness  of  Christ."^^ 

Factions  in  local  Churches  and  denominationalism  in  the 
Church  generally  is  directly  opposed  to  this  prayer,  and 
every  apology  for  their  existence  is  both  disloyal  to  Jesus 
and  immoral  in  the  great  work  of  the  world's  salvation. 
By  dissensions  families  and  nations  have  been  brought  to 
ruin.  Jesus  said,  ''Every  kingdom  divided  against  itself 
is  brought  to  desolation."^*^  The  millions  of  members  in 
the  Roman  and  Greek  communions  are  opposed  to  each 
other,  and  at  the  same  time  regard  the  Protestants  as  not 
holding  to  the  true  faith,  and  consequently  not  citizens  of 
the  Kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ ;  on  the  other  hand,  the  Prot- 
estants are  divided  into  several  hundred  denominations 
throughout  the  world,  with  their  separate  leaders  and 
organizations,  and  some  of  the  bodies  are  as  bitter  and 
antagonistic  against  each  other  as  Catholics  and  Prot- 
estants, and  many  of  the  Protestants  regard  those  mem- 
bers of  the  Roman  and  Greek  communions,  as  the  mem 
bers  of  the  Roman  and  Greek  communions,  do  them, 
namely,  utterly  unorthodox  and  without  citizenship  in  the 
Kingdom  of  Christ. 

The  condition  is  scandalous  and  should  be  a  matter  of 
personal  shame  to  every  disciple  of  Jesus,  irrespective  of 
his  creed  or  denomination.  The  badge  of  Christian  disci- 
pleship  has  been  lost,^"^  and  no  sadder  sight  stretches  out 
beneath  the  skies  than  our  divided  Christendom.  Said 
Alexander  Campbell :  "Nothing  is  essential  to  the  conver- 
sion of  the  world  but  the  union  and  co-operation  of  Chris- 
tians; nothing  is  essential  to  the  union  of  Christians  but 

■^Eph.  4 :  13.      "^Mt.  12 :  25.      "7ohn  13  :  34,  35. 


John  13  to  21.  293 

the  apostles'  teaching  or  testimony.  Or  does  He  choose 
to  express  the  plan  of  the  self-existent  in  other  words? 
Then  he  may  change  the  order  and  say,  the  testimony  of 
the  apostles  is  the  only  and  all-sufficient  means  of  uniting 
all  Christians ;  the  union  of  Christians  with  the  apostles' 
testimony  is  all-sufficient  and  alone  sufficient  to  the  con- 
version of  the  world.  Neither  truth  alone  nor  union  alone 
is  sufficient  to  subdue  the  unbelieving  nations,  but  truth 
and  union  combined  are  omnipotent.  They  are  omnipo- 
tent, for  God  is  in  them  and  with  them,  and  has  conse- 
crated and  blessed  them  for  this  very  purpose." 

The  prayer  began  with  a  vision  of  the  Cross,  but  it 
ended  amid  declarations  of  victory.  He  moved  from  His 
Passion  without  doubt  or  hesitancy  to  the  triumph  over 
death  and  the  final  victory  over  the  world.  He  looked 
back  into  the  eternity  past — "for  Thou  lovedst  me  before 
the  foundation  of  the  world" — and  He  looked  forward  to 
the  unending  friendships  of  His  heart — "that  the  love 
wherewith  Thou  lovedst  me  may  be  in  them  and  I  in 
them."  Then,  singing  the  second  part  of  the  Hallel,^^ 
they  went  down  from  the  Upper  Room,  through  the  de- 
serted midnight  streets  and  passed  over  the  brook  Kidron 
into  the  garden  of  Gethsemane. 

[For  the  arrest  and  trial,  see  Mt.  26:36; 
27:31;  for  the  crucifixion  and  burial,  see  Mk. 
15:20-47;  for  the  resurrection  and  His  appear- 
ance to  His  disciples,  see  Lu.  24.] 


Father,  Thou  has  shown  me  wonderful  things  out  of 
Thy  Word.  Thou  hast  allowed  me  to  share  some  of  the 
experiences  of  the  Upper  Room.  Thou  hast  set  me  in  a 
new  position — my  relationship  to  Thee  is  closer  and  more 
blessed  than  I  knew.  Thy  Holy  Spirit  hath  made  me  Thy 
child,  and  taken  my  otherwise  fruitless  life  and  made  it 

"'Psa.  116-118. 


294  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

the  ground  tilled  by  Thy  hand.  Grant  to  me  such  peace 
of  soul  that  I  may  be  calm  amid  all  vexation,  that  I  may 
find  my  highest  joy  in  abiding  in  Christ,  that  I  may  be 
called  by  Thee  Thy  friend  and  may  live  in  a  conscious 
oneness  both  with  Thee  and  all  who  love  Thee  in  sincerity. 
Have  mercy  upon  Thy  divided  Church  and  heal  the  breach 
for  Jesus'  sake,  that  the  world  may  believe  that  Thou  didst 
send  Him.    Amen. 


Questions. 
I.  Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter.  2.  What  the  title  and  limit  of  this 
division?  3.  Name  the  chapters  of  this  division.  4.  Give  an  ac- 
count of  the  draught  of  fishes.  5.  What  of  the  first  five  chapters 
of  this  division?  6.  Explain  the  Jewish  Passover.  7.  What  of 
the  plans  of  the  Jewish  rulers,  of  Judas  and  of  Jesus?  8.  What 
of  Zachariah's  prophecy  concerning  the  sale  of  Jesus  (Zech. 
11:12,  13)?    9.  What  of  the  order  of  service  at  the  Passover? 

10.  What  of  Christ  as  our  Passover  (I  Cor.  5:7;  I  Pet  i:  19)? 

11.  What  new  commandment  did  Jesus  give  (13:34,  35)?  12. 
What  of  the  last  discourse  of  Jesus?  13.  What  of  His  affection? 
14.  What  of  His  second  coming?  15.  What  of  the  one  way? 
16.  How  greater  works  than  Jesus?  17.  Explain  what  it  is  to 
pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  18.  What  is  the  highest  test  of  love 
(14:15,  21,  23;  15:10)?  19.  What  of  the  names  of  the  Holy 
Spirit?  20.  What  of  His  coming?  21.  What  depended  upon  His 
coming?  22.  Explain  why  it  was  best  for  Christ  to  go  away. 
23.  What  was  the  source  of  His  authority?  24.  Of  whom  was 
He  to  speak?  25.  What  of  His  being  a  guide  and  teacher?  26. 
What  of  His  recalHng  the  past  and  foretelHng  the  future?  27. 
Explain  fully  His  office  and  mission  to  the  world.  28.  What  of 
Judas,  not  Iscariot?  29.  What  of  the  peace  of  Jesus?  30.  What 
of  the  prince  of  this  world?  31.  What  of  abiding  in  Christ? 
32.  What  is  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  (Gal.  5:  22,  ^3)  ?  33.  What  of 
the  friends  of  Jesus?  34.  What  of  persecutions  and  hardships? 
35.  Explain  fully  the  prayer  of  Jesus.  36.  Give  John's  account  of 
the  arrest  and  trial  (18:1-19:16).  37.  Give  John's  account  of 
the  crucifixion  and  burial  (19:  17-42).  38.  Give  John's  account  of 
His  resurrection  and  manifestation  to  His  disciples  (20,  21).  39. 
What  is  your  prayer  amid  these  thoughts  of  the  Upper  Room? 


ACTS. 

I.    From  the  Ascension  of  Jesus  to  the  Descent  of 

THE  Holy  Spirit  and  the  Planting  of  the 

Church  in  Jerusalem. — 1:1-8:3. 


"Ye  men  of  Galilee,  why  stand  j^e  looking  into  Heaven?  This 
Jesus,  who  was  received  up  from  you  into  Heaven,  shall  so  come 
in  like  manner  as  ye  beheld  Him  going  into  Heaven:'— The  An  gr  Is 
of  the  Ascension  lo  the  Apostles  (i  :  n). 


"Being  therefore  by  the  right  hand  of  God  exalted,  and  having 
received  of  the  Father  the  promise  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  He  hath 
poured  forth  this,  which  ye  see  and  hear." — Peter  on  the  Day  of 
Pentecost  (2:  33). 


"Repent  ye,  and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ  unto  the  remission  of  your  sins ;  and  ye  shall  receive 
the  gift  of  the  Holv  Spirit." — Peter  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost 
(2:38). 

"In  none  other  is  there  salvation :  for  neither  is  there  any  other 
Name  under  heaven,  that  is  given  among  men,  wherein  we  must 
be  saved." — Peter  in  his  First  Speech  Before  the  Sanhedrin  (4 :  12). 

"We  must  obey  God  rather  than  m^n.^'— Peter  in  his  Second 
Speech  Before  the  Sanhedrin  (5:  29). 


"Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to  their  ch^rgt."— Stephen's  Prayer  for 
his  Murderers  (7:  60). 


296 


ACTS. 

I.     From  the  Ascension  of  Jesus  to  the  Descent  of 

THE  Holy  Spirit  and  the  Planting  of  the 

Church   in   Jerusalem. — i :  i-8:  3. 

The  Book. — Among  all  the  books  of  the  Bible  this  is  the 
most  important  book  concerning  conversion.  The  Old 
Testament  tells  us  of  God's  mercy  and  man's  sin  ;  the  Gos- 
pels tell  us  of  God's  gift  of  Jesus  to  save  mankind,  and 
the  Acts  tells  of  how  man  accepts  the  gift  and  is  saved. 
It  is  the  only  book  in  which  the  question,  "What  must  I 
do  to  be  saved?"  is  asked  and  three  times  definitely  an- 
swered, according  to  the  circumstances  surrounding  the 
question,^  and,  therefore,  it  is  at  once  the  book  of  the  first 


Markings. — Undermark,  1:4,  8,  14;  2:1,  4,  16,  S3^  3^^  47',  3' 
12;  4:8,  19;  5:  14,  19,  20,  29;  6:3,  4;  7:51;  also  undermark  the 
words  "former  treatise"  in  1:1;  "through  the  Holy  Spirit''  in  i  : 
2;  "forty  da3^s"  in  1:3:  "he  was  taken  up"  in  1:9;  "upper  cham- 
ber" in  1:13;  "hundred  and  twenty"  in  1:15;  "Matthias"  in  i : 
26;  "Peter"  in  2:14;  "approved  of  God"  in  2:22;  "God  raised 
up"  in  2 :  24 ;  "David"  in  2  :  25  ;  "had  all  things  common"  in  2 :  44; 
"a  certain  man"  in  3:2;  "Peter"  in  3:4;  "In  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Nazareth,  walk"  in  3:6;  "Jesus"  in  3 :  13 ;  "by  faith"  in 
3:  16;  "Moses"  in  3:22;  "Samuel"  in  3:24;  "Sadducees"  in  4:  i; 
"in  ward"  in  4:3;  "Jerusalem"  in  4:5;  "threaten  them"  in  4:  17; 
"all  things  common"  in  4:32;  "Barnabas"  in  4:  36;  "Ananias  and 
Sapphira"  in  5 :  t  ;  "jealousy"  in  5:  17;  "Gamaliel"  in  5:34;  "beat 
them"  in  5:40;  "widows  were  neglected"  in  6:  i;  "disciples  mul- 
tiplied" in  6:7;  "Stephen"  in  6:8;  "false  witnesses"  in  6:  13;  "he 
said"  and  "Abraham"  in  7  :  2 ;  "Isaac"  and  "Jacob"  in  7  :  8 ;  "patri- 
archs" and  "Joseph"  in  7:9;  "Moses"  in  7 :  20 ;  "Joshua"  and 
"David"  in  7  :  45  ;  "Solomon"  in  7  :  47 ;  "Saul"  in  7  :  58 ;  "great 
persecution"  in  8:  i. 

Mark,  i:S,  7,  i3,  16 ;  2 :  2,  3,  6,  17-21,  31,  39,  41,  42 ;  3  :  26 ;  4 :  4, 
31 ;  5 :  3,  9,  II,  32,  42 ;  6 :  10,  15  ;  7  :  6,  7,  H,  34,  55 ;  8 :  3- 

\A.cts  2 :  38 ;  16 :  30,  31 ;  22 :  10,  16. 

297 


298  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

importance  in  leading  the  unsaved  to  the  Saviour;  but, 
strange  to  say,  it  is  the  least  studied  of  all  the  books  of  the 
New  Testament,  and  this  is  doubtless  the  explanation  for 
so  many  different  ways  in  directing  persons  to  the  Saviour. 
The  Divine  model  has  unintentionally  been  ignored  for 
centuries,  and  only  in  recent  years  have  believers  been 
getting  back  to  it.  Chrysostom  of  the  fifth  century,  when 
believers  had  already  begun  to  depart  from  the  apostolic 
models  of  conversions,  complained  that  the  book  of  Acts 
was  not  read  much  in  his  day,  and  he  said,  "There  are 
many  who  do  not  even  know  that  this  book  is  in  existence, 
or  who  can  state  the  name  of  the  author." 

It  is  a  book  of  thrilling  interest,  giving  in  graphic  detail 
some  of  the  history  of  the  first  thirty  years  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  //  is  a  kind  of  appendix  to  the  Gospels. 
There  are  four  biographies  of  Jesus;  this  is  the  one  his- 
tory of  the  period  following  His  ascension  and  the  estab- 

Personal  mark,  i :  1 1 ;  2  :  38 ;  3 :  19 ;  4:12;  5:41;  7 :  60. 

Mark  with  the  cross,  1:3,  16;  2:23,  31,  36;  3:  15,  26;  4:2,  10. 
28;  5:30;  7:52. 

Mark  with  the  cross  crowned,  i :  1 1 ;  3 :  20. 

Mark  with  P,  meaning  prayer,  i :  14,  24 ;  2  :  42 ;  4 :  24 ;  6:6;  7  : 
59,60. 

Divisions. — This  book  is  divided  as  follows:  I.  From  the  As- 
cension of  Jesus  to  the  Descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  Plant- 
ing of  the  Church  in  Jerusalem,  1:1-8:3;  H.  The  Planting  of 
the  Church  in  Samaria  and  Judaea,  8:4-12:25;  III.  The  Planting 
of  the  Church  Among  the  Pagans,  13:  1-21 :  16;  IV.  Paul's  Five 
Years'  Imprisonment  and  His  Five  Defenses,  21:  16-28:31. 

The  names  of  the  chapters  of  the  first  division :  i — The  Ascen- 
sion and  the  Upper  Chamber ;  2— The  Descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
and  the  First  Gospel  Sermon;  3— Peter  and  John  Cured  a  Lame 
Man  and  the  Second  Gospel  Sermon;  4 — Peter  and  John  Were 
Threatened  Before  the  Sanhedrin  and  They  Prayed  for  Boldness ; 
5 — Ananias  and  Sapphira  Slain  for  Lying,  and  Peter  and  John 
Beaten  Before  the  Sanhedrin;  6— Seven  Deacons  Chosen  and 
Stephen  Brought  Before  the  Sanhedrin;  7— Stephen's  Defense 
and  Death;  8— Great  Persecution  and  a  Samarian  Sorcerer  Re- 
pented and  an  Ethiopian  Eunuch  Baptized. 


Acts  i  :  i  to  8 :  3.  299 

lishing  of  Christianity  upon  the  earth,  and  is  the  only  his- 
torical record  of  that  period. 

It  begins  with  the  ascension  of  Jesus,  makes  record  of 
the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  gives  the  first  Gospel  ser- 
mons, the  manner  of  entrance  into  the  Church,  as  well  as 
the  manner  of  disseminating  the  Gospel  throughout  Pales- 
tine and  the  Pagan  world,  relates  the  hardships  attending 
the  believers,  and  especially  those  who  dared  to  preach 
Jesus  and  the  resurrection  from  the  dead,  touching  a  little 
on  Church  government  and  recognizing  the  leadership  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  under  whose  personal  ministry  the  Church 
was  kept  and  beautified.  Without  this  book  we  would  have 
little  knowledge  of  the  establishing  of  Christianity  and  its 
methods  of  work  as  divinely  directed. 

Its  title  is  somewhat  misleading.  It  is  not  all  the  acts 
of  all  the  apostles.  Only  once  are  all  the  apostles  men- 
tioned in  it ;  a  brief  account  is  given  of  the  martyrdom  of 
James ;  John  appears  on  three  occasions ;  but  Peter  is  the 
center  of  the  first  half  of  the  book  and  Paul  of  the  latter 
half,  and  Stephen,  Philip  and  Barnabas,  non-Apostolic 
men,  are  the  next  in  prominence.  It  is  simply  "The  Acts" 
in  the  Sinaitic  manuscript,  which  was  a  common  term  for 
writings  of  this  character  in  the  first  centuries.  In  an- 
other ancient  manuscript  it  is  called  ''Acts  of  Apostles," 
and  in  another,  "Way  of  Acting  of  the  Apostles,"  and  in 
still  another,  "The  Acts  of  the  Holy  Apostles" — all  these 
titles  being  given  by  some  other  than  the  author. 

Plumptre  called  it  "The  Gospel  of  the  Holy  Spirit," 
because  it  records  the  beginning  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  per- 
sonal ministry  on  earth  and  gives  mention  of  His  name 
more  frequently  than  in  any  other  book  of  the  Bible.  It  is 
a  text-book  of  Christianity,  for  it  deals  practically  with 
the  great  problem  of  salvation  and  gives  an  account  of 


300  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

the  growth  of  the  Church  and  its  manner  of  extension 
throughout  the  world.  It  is  in  no  sense,  however,  a  book 
of  systematic  theology;  "the  supposed  finding  of  it  any- 
where," said  Joseph  Parker,  "has  been  the  heaviest  cross 
that  the  risen  Christ  has  had  to  carry  and  the  greatest 
hindrance  to  the  extension  of  His  reign." 

It  is  a  book  of  beginnings — first  general  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  first  Gospel  sermons,  first  converts  to  Christi- 
anity, first  Christian  baptisms,  first  apostoHc  miracles,  first 
persecutions  against  Christians,  first  ecclesiastical  organi- 
zation, first  Christian  martyr,  first  Gentile  converts,  first 
Christian  council  and  first  missionary  journey. 

It  is  the  book  of  conversions,  for  it  not  only  tells  how 
converts  to  Christianity  were  made,  but  it  gives  many  by 
name,  and  states  that  the  result  of  the  first  day's  preach- 
ing was  3000  souls,  and  two  chapters  after  it  is  affirmed 
that  the  number  of  men  who  had  become  Christians  had 
reached  5000,  and  on  through  every  chapter  the  one  theme 
is  conversion  to  Christ. 

//  is  a  book  of  missions,  for  it  tells  us  that  among  the 
earliest  movements  the  disciples  and  apostles  went  first 
throughout  Palestine  preaching  the  Word,  and  later 
through  Asia  Minor  into  Europe,  adding  souls  to  Christ 
in  every  place  they  visited.  The  programme  of  the  book, 
if  not  of  all  Christianity,  is  announced  in  1:8:  ''Ye  shall 
receive  power  zvhen  the  Holy  Spirit  is  come  upon  you :  and 
ye  shall  be  my  zvifnesses,  both  in  Jerusalem  and  in  all 
Jiidcca  and  Samaria,  and  nnfo  the  uttermost  part  of  the 
earth/' 

It  is  a  book  of  persecutions,  for  at  the  very  outset  Peter 
and  John  were  called  before  the  Sanhedrin  and  warned, 
then  beaten,  and  later  Stephen  and  James  were  martyed. 
Peter  was  cast  into  prison  with  the  purpose  of  being  killed, 


Acts  i  :  i  to  8 :  3.  301 

and  Panrs  whole  life  was  one  continual  martyrdom — five 
times  publicly  whipped  with  thirty-nine  lashes  each  time, 
three  times  beaten  with  rods,  once  he  was  stoned  until  it 
was  thought  he  was  dead,  five  years  he  was  kept  in  prison, 
besides  ill-treatment  from  Jews  and  Gentiles  and  false 
brethren. 

It  is  the  book  of  Christianity  in  action  and  it  should  be 
studied  with  the  greatest  care,  especially  by  those  who  de- 
sire to  be  soul-winners  for  Christ,  for  there  is  no  book  like 
it  in  the  world. 

Its  Author  and  Date. — Its  authorship  has  been  unani- 
mously assigned  to  Luke  from  its  first  appearance.  Even 
Renan  said,  ''This  has  been  a  conclusion  which  has  never 
been  seriously  disputed."  Irenaeus,  Tertullian,  Clement 
of  Alexandria  and  Polycarp  quoted  from  it  and  recognized 
the  Lucan  authorship.  In  writing  the  Gospel  Luke  gave 
an  account  of  the  life  and  preaching  of  Jesus ;  in  writing 
the  Acts  he  gave  an  account  of  the  planting  and  spreading 
of  the  religion  of  Jesus.  Like  the  Gospel  of  Luke,  it  is 
addressed  to  Theophilus,  who  was  some  prominent  be- 
liever, or  a  term  applied  to  all  believers  in  general,  mean- 
ing 'iover  of  God,"  but  of  this  we  have  no  positive 
knowledge. 

Although  Luke's  name  is  mentioned  only  three  times  in 
the  New  Testament,-  yet,  as  said  Farrar :  "To  few  since 
the  world  began  has  it  been  granted  to  render  two  services 
so  immense  as  those  which  have  been  rendered  by  Saint 
Luke  in  his  Gospel  and  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  In  the 
one  he  has  given  us  the  most  exquisite  and  perfect  sketch 
of  the  Saviour  of  mankind ;  in  the  other  he  has  enabled  us 
to  watch  the  dawn  of  the  Gospel  which  the  Saviour 
preached  as  it  broadens  gradually  into  the  boundless  day. 

^Col.  4:  14;  2  Tim.  4:  11;  Phi.  24. 


302  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

In  his  earlier  work  Saint  Luke  had  many  predecessors, 
and  his  task  was  to  sift  the  material  which  they  had  pre- 
sented and  to  combine  them  with  all  that  he  had  been  able 
to  learn  by  personal  inquiry.  In  his  second  work  he  was 
at  once  an  historian  and  in  great  measure  an  eye-witness, 
and  he  took  no  small  part  in  the  events  which  he  narrates." 

In  the  first  part  of  the  book  and  up  to  i6 :  lo  Luke 
speaks  in  the  third  person,  but  after  that  time  he  fre- 
quently uses  the  term  "\vt/'  and  the  following  passages 
are  called  the  "we  sections":  i6:  10-17;  20:  5-15;  21:  i- 
18;  27:  1-28:  16,  which  appears  to  show  that  Luke  first 
joined  Paul  at  Troas  and  was  with  him  at  Philippi,  where 
he  remained  for  a  while,  and  later  joined  Paul  again,  pos- 
sibly in  Macedonia,  and  from  that  time  to  Paul's  impris- 
onment in  Rome  Luke  appears  to  have  been  his  constant 
companion.^ 

During  Paul's  two  years'  imprisonment  at  Csesarea  Luke 
had  the  opportunity  to  gather  from  Philip  and  Cornelius 
those  records  in  the  book  of  Acts  that  refer  to  these  men, 
who  were  still  living  in  Caesarea,  and  also,  being  in  Judaea, 
to  get  an  accurate  account  of  the  ascension  of  Jesus,  the 
descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  first  planting  of  the 
Church,  and,  Paul  having  the  leisure  of  a  prisoner  await- 
ing trial,  to  get  directly  from  him  an  account  of  his  con- 
version and  other  experiences,  as  presented  in  the  book  of 
Acts,  all  of  which  is  reasonable  and  very  likely.  The  clos- 
ing part  of  the  book  was  doubtless  added  in  Rome,  cover- 
ing in  all  a  little  over  thirty  years,  counting  from  the  ascen- 
sion, which,  according  to  Ramsay,  was  in  the  year  30  A.  D. 
to  the  close  of  his  two  years'  stay  in  Rome,  about  62  or 
63  A.  D.     The  book  of  Acts  was  completed  some  time 

'Acts  20:5-15;  2  Tim.  4:  II. 


Acts  i  :  i  to  8 :  3.  ■  303 

between  that  date  and  70  A.  D.,  although  some  authorities 
place  its  authorship  after  70. 

The  lessons  of  this  first  division  are  as  follows : 

The  Believer  is  a  Continuation  of  the  Life  of 
Jesus  on  Earth,  and  so  the  book  of  Acts  tells  a  part  of  the 
earthly  life  of  Jesus  and  the  result  of  the  life  of  Jesus  in  the 
lives  of  believers.  Said  G.  Campbell  Morgan/'The  book  of 
Acts  is  a  history  of  the  deeds  of  Christ  by  the  Holy  Spirit 
through  His  people."  Just  as  Jesus  lived  the  ideal  life, 
so  the  life  of  the  ideal  believer  is  expressed  in  Paul's 
words,  *Tt  is  no  longer  I  that  live,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me; 
and  that  life  which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh  I  live  in  faith, 
the  faith  which  is  in  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  me  and 
gave  Himself  up  for  me."*  Matthew  closed  his  Gospel  with 
these  words  of  Jesus,  **Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even 
unto  the  end  of  the  world,"  and  Luke  affirmed  throughout 
the  book  of  Acts  that  the  presence  of  Jesus  is  with  the 
believer,  as  his  daily  joy  and  abiding  glory. 

Waiting  for  the  Power  (1:1-8). — With  the  death 
of  Jesus  all  idea  of  the  earthly  kingdom  of  Israel  passed 
away;  after  His  resurrection  that  hope  revived,  and  the 
apostles  came  to  Him  with  the  inquiry  concerning  the 
restoration  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  indicating  that  while 
many  changes  had  occurred  in  Jesus,  their  conception  of 
the  coming  Kingdom  was  unchanged  and  faulty.  The 
answer  of  Jesus  implied  that  it  was  unimportant  for  them 
to  know  the  times,  referring  to  the  ages,  or  the  seasons, 
referring  to  the  processes  of  development ;  but  the  impor- 
tant thing  was  for  them  to  wait  until  they  received  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  so  that  not  only  might  they  have 
proper  conceptions  of  the  coming  Kingdom,  but  they 
would  have  the  power  to  work  miracles  and  to  preach  the 

*Gal.  2 :  20. 


304 


Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 


Gospel  correctly  and  boldly  and  the  power  to  bear  hard- 
ship and  persecutions. 

Their  first  commission  was  to  "the  lost  sheep  of  the 
house  of  Israel,"^  but  after  the  resurrection  it  is  "make 
disciples  of  all  the  nations  ;"*^  and  now  the  programme  was, 
"Tarry  ye  in  the  city  until  ye  be  clothed  with  power  from 
on  High,"'^  and  then  witnessing  in  Jerusalem,  Judaea,  Sa- 
maria and  unto  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth.^  Before 
the  inauguration  of  this  mighty  plan,  which  is  still  in  op- 
eration, it  was  necessary  for  Divine  equipment,  and  these 
men  zvaiting  for  the  pozver  was  as  important  a  part  of 
their  work  as  being  witnesses  of  the  death  and  resurrec- 
tion of  Jesus.  They  were  incompetent  then,  but  after  re- 
ceiving the  power,  they  became  thoroughly  competent,  and 
the  redemption  of  the  lost  race  through  Jesus  Christ  be- 
came the  greatest  work  of  the  ages. 

The  Ascension  (1:9-11;  Mk.  16:  19;  Lu.  24:  50,  51). 
— Of  the  Gospels  only  Mark  and  Luke  make  mention  of 
the  ascension.  In  John's  record  Jesus  foretold  it,^  and, 
by  Mary  Magdalene,  He  sent  an  announcement  of  it  on 
the  day  of  His  resurrection  to  His  apostles.^"  In  the 
Acts  Luke  gives  the  fullest  account  that  we  have  of  it, 
and  Paul  names  it  as  one  of  the  great  facts  in  the  plan  of 
redemption.^^ 

Forty  days  after  His  resurrection,  and  unobserved  by 
passers-by,  Jesus  ascended  from  the  Mount  of  Olives 
while  He  was  blessing  His  apostles,  and  passed  behind 
the  cloud-curtain  to  the  right  hand  of  the  Father.  He 
had  completed  His  work  on  earth^'~  and  He  zvas  then  ready 
to  enter  upon  His  work  in  Heaven}""  The  veil  of  the 
Temple,  which  was  torn  from  top  to  bottom  at  the  time 

'Mt.  10 :  6.  ^\cts  1 :  8.  "Eph.  4 :  8-10. 

'Mt  28 :  19.  "John  6 :  62.         ^^ohn  17 :  4. 

*Lii.  24 :  49.         "John  20  :  17.      "John  14 :  2. 


Acts  i  :  i  to  8 :  3.  305 

of  His  crucifixion,  was  needed  no  more.  It  had  for  cen- 
turies separated  the  Holy  and  Most  Holy  Places.  The 
high  priest  once  a  year  passed  behind  the  veil,  and  in  that 
sacred  chamber  before  the  Shekinah  he  made  atonement 
for  the  sins  of  the  people,  but  these  types  were  now  ful- 
filled. 

The  veil  of  the  Temple  was  a  type  of  the  cloud-curtain 
in  the  sky,  and  Jesus  had  become  the  High  Priest  of  man- 
kind. Passing  behind  the  true  veil.  He  pleaded  the  merits 
of  the  great  Sacrifice  as  our  eternal  Atonement.  Said 
the  writer  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews :  "Christ  having 
come  a  High  Priest  of  the  good  things  to  come,  through 
the  greater  and  more  perfect  tabernacle,  not  made  with 
hands,  that  is  to  say,  not  of  this  creation,  nor  yet  through 
the  blood  of  goats  and  calves,  but  through  His  own  blood, 
entered  in  once  for  all  into  the  Holy  Place,  having  obtained 
eternal  redemption.  For  if  the  blood  of  goats  and  bulls 
and  the  ashes  of  a  heifer  sprinkling  them  that  have  been 
defiled,  sanctify  unto  the  cleanness  of  the  flesh,  how 
much  more  shall  the  blood  of  Christ,  who  through  the 
eternal  Spirit  offered  Himself  without  blemish  unto  God, 
cleanse  your  conscience  from  dead  works  to  serve  the 
Living  God?"^"* 

We  need  not — we  cannot — locate  Heaven  geographic- 
ally, but  Jesus  is  there  in  His  glorified  humanity — a  spir- 
itual body,  which  no  human  hand  can  touch,  but  real  and 
glorified.  He  has  carried  our  humanity  above  angels,  and 
He  is  seated  there  on  the  right  hand  of  the  Father.^^  He 
prayed  for  and  obtained  the  Holy  Spirit,  whom  He  sent 
to  dwell  in  us. 

In  the  Temple  service  on  the  Day  of  Atonement  the 
high  priest  came  from  behind  the  veil  at  eventide  of  the 


'Heb.  9:  11-14.      "Heb.  10:  12;  i  Pet.  3:22. 


3o6  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

same  day.  When  Jesus  ascended  and  passed  behind  the 
true  veil  two  angels  were  standing  on  the  earth  side  of  the 
veil  as  angels  stood  about  His  broken  tomb  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  resurrection,  and  these  said,  "Ye  men  of  Galilee, 
why  stand  ye  looking  into  Heaven  ?  This  Jesus  who  was 
received  up  from  you  into  Heaven  shall  so  come  in  like 
manner  as  ye  beheld  Him  going  into  Heaven/'  His  first 
coming  was  in  humiliation ;  His  second  coming  shall  be 
in  power  and  great  glory,  riding  upon  the  clouds  of 
heaven.^^ 

To  have  yielded  to  Satan's  temptation  and  thereby  es- 
caped the  Cross,  and  to  have  lived  here  on  the  earth,  would 
have  been  defeat.  In  triumph  He  arose  from  the  dead; 
in  triumph  He  ascended  to  the  Father,  and  He  now  waits 
the  fullness  of  time,  when,  in  triumph.  He  will  return  to 
the  earth. 

The  rightful  attitude  is  not  gazing  into  the  heavens,  but 
going  about  faithfully  serving  Christ,  "looking  for  the 
blessed  hope  and  appearing  of  the  glory  of  the  great  God 
and  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ."^"  The  returning  of 
Christ  "in  like  manner,"  from  behind  the  cloud-curtain 
is  the  crowning  event  of  our  redemption.  There  is  more 
Scripture  in  the  New  Testament  bearing  on  His  second 
coming  than  in  the  Old  Testament  bearmg  on  His  first 
coming.  Massillon  affirmed  that  "in  the  days  of  primi- 
tive Christianity  it  would  have  been  deemed  a  kind  of 
apostasy  not  to  sigh  for  the  return  of  the  Lord." 

The  rightful  position  is  for  man's  countenance  to  be 
elevated,  to  beam  with  expectation.  When  Cain  sinned 
it  is  significant  that  Jehovah  asked  of  him,  "Why  is  thy 
countenance  fallen  ?"i»  Jesus  came  to  restore  the  uplook. 
His   passing  behind   the   cloud-curtain   and   the   angel's 

'''Mt.  24 :  30,  31 ;  26 :  64.      "Tit.  2  :  13.      ^^Gen.  4 :  6. 


Acts  i  :  i  to  8:3.  307 

assurance  set  mankind  again  for  the  first  time  in  its  right- 
ful attitude — "looking  for  the  blessed  hope."  Said  Jesus, 
"Look  up,  and  lift  up  your  heads :  because  your  redemp- 
tion draweth  nigh."^^  Sin  has  made  our  countenance  fall, 
but  the  righteousness  of  Jesus  has  given  us  hope  and 
turned  our  vision  toward  Heaven. 

The  Upper  Chamber  (1:12-14). — It  is  likely  that 
this  was  the  same  Upper  Chamber  where  Jesus  ate  the 
Last  Supper  with  His  disciples,-*^  where  He  met  them 
twice  after  His  resurrection  from  the  dead,-^  and  where 
a  few  years  later  many  believers  were  assembled  praying 
for  Peter's  deliverance  from  prison  ;2-  and  so  the  house 
.of  Mary,  the  mother  of  Mark,  furnished  a  general  meet- 
ing place  for  Jesus  and  His  disciples,  both  before  and  after 
His  resurrection,  and  in  this  it  remains  to  all  ages  as  a 
beautiful  example  of  hospitality. 

For  the  fourth  and  last  time  the  list  of  the  apostles  is 
given  ;23  for  the  last  time  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus,  is 
mentioned,  and  there  is  no  intimation  of  any  adoration 
being  given  to  her,  either  then  or  later ;  and  for  the  first 
time  it  is  stated  that  His  half-brothers,  James,  Joseph, 
Simon  and  Judas,  and  perhaps  His  half-sisters,  are  iden- 
tified with  the  believers.^*  This  is  the  last  time  that  there 
is  any  reference  to  that  splendid  company  of  women  who 
ministered  to  Jesus — Mary  Magdalene,  Mary  the  wife  of 
Cleopas,  Salome  the  mother  of  James  and  John,  Joanna 
the  wife  of  Chuza,  Susanna  and  others.  While  the  Upper 
Chamber  appeared  to  have  been  their  headquarters,  and 
will  ever  linger  with  us  as  the  place  of  delightful  com- 
munion, Luke  closed  his  Gospel  by  saying,  "They  were 

"Lu.  21 :  28.  "Acts  12 :  12. 

-yik.  14:  14.  '^Mt.  10:2-4;  Mk.  3:  16-19;  Lu.  6:  14-16. 

-^ohn  20 :  19-26.      '*Mt.  13  :  55 ;  John  7:5. 


3o8  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

continually  in  the  Temple,  blessing  God/"'  They  attended 
all  the  Temple  worship  and  found  blessings  there,  as  well 
as  when,  with  one  accord,  they  worshipped  in  the  Upper 
Chamber. 

The  Choice  of  Matthias  (i  :  15-26).  —  His  name 
meant  the  same  as  Matthew — "Jehovah's  gift,"  of  which 
it  was  the  Greek  form.  Eusebius  suggested  that  the  two — 
Barsabbas  and  Matthias — were  of  the  seventy.  The  reason 
that  the  number  was  limited  to  two  appears  to  have  been 
that  these  were  the  only  two  in  the  company  of  the  one 
hundred  and  twenty  who  were  witnesses  of  His  ministry 
and  resurrection,  which  was  a  necessary  qualification  for 
an  apostle,  and  so  intimating  that  after  their  generation 
there  could  be  no  successors  to  the  apostles.  The  casting 
of  lots  among  both  Jews  and  the  Gentiles  was  considered 
as  an  appeal  to  God.  It  was  frequently  done  in  the  Old 
Testament^®  and  it  was  valid  in  the  New  Testament,  for 
Luke  added,  "He  was  numbered  with  the  eleven  apos- 
tles."-^ In  the  prayer  the  Lord  is  called  the  "Heart- 
knower,"  and  Jesus  may  have  commanded  filling  the  place 
of  Judas,  whose  grave  is  unknown.  Akeldama  is  only 
known  as  a  field  near  the  city  from  which  potter's  clay 
had  been  gotten,-**  and  it  is  appropriately  called  Judas' 
field,  for  he  "obtained  a  field  with  the  reward  of  his 
iniquity." 

The  Day  of  Pentecost  (2:  i). — This  was  one  of  the 
three  great  Feasts  that  every  male  among  the  Jews  was 
required  to  attend.-^  The  Feast  of  the  Passover  came  on 
the  14th  of  Nisan ;  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  was  observed 
on  the  15th  to  the  22d  of  Tisri;  the  Feast  of  Pentecost 

^Lu.  24:53.  ^'«Mt.  27:7,8. 

-  Nu.  26:  55;  Josh.  7:  14;  18:  10;  Neh.  11 :  i.   =^Ex.  23:  14-17. 
Acts  1 :  26, 


Acts  i  :  i  to  8 :  3.  309 

followed  the  Passover,  ''Even  unto  the  morrow  after  the 
seventh  Sabbath  shall  ye  number  fifty  days,"^*^  and  so  it 
came  to  be  called  Pentecost,  a  Greek  word  meaning  "fif- 
tieth." In  the  Scriptures  it  is  called  the  "Feast  of  Har- 
vest,"^^  because  it  was  the  beginning  of  the  wheat  har- 
vest; the  "Feast  of  Weeks, "•'^-  because  it  was  seven  weeks 
from  the  Passover,  and  the  "Feast  of  the  First-fruits,""^ 
because  on  that  day  they  offered  bread  made  from  the  new 
wheat.  Later  it  was  regarded  as  the  commemoration  of 
the  giving  of  the  Law  on  Mount  Sinai,  being  fifty  days 
after  the  observance  of  the' first  Passover  m  Egypt. 

From  the  year  30  A.  D.  it  henceforth  marked  the  advent 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  was  on  the  first  day  of  the  week, 
afterwards  called  the  Lord's  Day,  May  28th.  On  the 
Lord's  Day  He  arose  from  the  dead ;  on  that  day  He  ap- 
.peared  twice  to  His  disciples,^*  and  on  that  day  the  Holy 
Spirit  descended  for  His  great  work  on  the  earth.  At  the 
Feast  of  the  Passover  Jesus  went  into  the  depths  of  His 
humiliation  by  His  death  on  the  Cross;  at  the  Feast  of 
Pentecost  the  Holy  Spirit  took  up  the  work  of  His  tri- 
umph. Pentecost  has  been  called  the  birthday  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Among  modern  Jews  it  includes  two  days,  while 
originally  it  was  only  one.^^  With  Christians  all  these 
names  passed  away,  and  it  came  to  be  called  "Whitsun- 
day" or  "White  Sunday,''  because  of  the  white  garments 
worn  by  those  who  were  baptized  on  that  day,  and  it  be- 
came a  special  day  of  baptizing  with  the  Church  when 
believers  began  to  depart  from  the  apostolic  models. 

The  Advent  of  the  FIoly  Spirit  (2:2-4). — Before 
the  crucifixion  John  wrote,  "The  Spirit  was  not  yet  given, 
because  Jesus  was  not  yet  glorified."^"     The  Spirit,  how- 


'°Lev.  23  :  15,  16.     "-Du.  16 :  10.     "John  20 :  19-26.     '"John  7  :  39. 
"Ex.  23  :  16.  '''Nu.  28:  26.     '^Lev.  23  :  15-22. 


3IO  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

ever,  was  in  the  beginning^"  like  the  Son,"^  and  He  was 
given  throughout  the  Old  Testament  period  to  individual 
leaders,  judges,  kings,  priests  and  prophets  as  the  neces- 
sity required.  In  the  beginning  of  the  New  Testament 
the  same  thing  was  true,  as  is  recorded  of  Elizabeth,^^ 
Zacharias,"*"  John  the  Baptist"  and  others.  It  was  said  of 
these  that  they  were  "filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit." 

In  the  Old  Testament  the  promise  of  the  Comforter  for 
all  the  race  was  clearly  announced  f^  it  was  repeated  by 
John  the  Baptist  in  the  opening  of  the  New  Testament,^^ 
and  it  was  renewed  by  Jesus  toward  the  close  of  His  min- 
istry.** Moses  prayed  that  God  would  send  His  Spirit 
upon  all  His  people;*^  Joel  prophesied  that  He  would  do 
it,**^  and  Jesus  promised  it,  and  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  it 
was  done — no  longer  upon  chosen  representatives,  but 
''upon  all  flesh/' 

Preceded  by  ten  days  of  steadfast  prayer  and  all  in  one 
accord,  the  Holy  Spirit  suddenly  came  from  Heaven — 
not  a  wind,  but  as  the  sound  of  a  rushing  wind;  not 
tongues  of  fire,  but  like  as  of  Hre.  The  brilliant  appear- 
ance separated  and  "sat  upon  each  of  them."  A  certain 
atmospheric  condition  causes  the  dew  to  distill,  so  that 
under  the  morning  sun  every  blade  of  grass  gleams  with 
a  diamond.  A  certain  spiritual  condition  existed  as  never 
before  in  the  history  of  the  world — the  oflfering  of  the 
Sacrifice  and  the  waiting — and  the  fire-drops  were  dis- 
tilled. 

God  spoke  through  the  prophets,  then  through  His  Son, 
but  henceforth  He  began  to  dwell  in  men  by  His  Spirit — 

"Gen.  1 :  2.  "Isa.  44  •  3 ;  Ezek.  36 :  27 ;  Joel  2  :  28-32. 

'*John  i:  I.  ''Mt.  3:  11. 

^^Lu.  1:41.  ""John  14:  16;  16:7. 

"Lu.  1:67.  "'Nu.  11:29. 

"Ln.  i:  15.  '7oel  2:28-32. 


Acts  i  :  i  to  8:  3.  311 

the  same  Spirit  that  beautified  the  heavens,*^  the  same 
that  moved  men  to  speak  the  Holy  Oracles,^*^  and  the 
same  that  dwelt  in  Jesus.'*^  It  was  a  wonderful  event. 
"The  advent  of  the  Spirit,"  said  J.  Monro  Gibson,  "was 
the  birth  of  the  Church,"  and  the  return  of  Christ  will 
mark  the  beginning  of  the  Kingdom,  which  is  in  prepara- 
tion now  and  will  then  be  in  consummation. 

They  spoke  to  the  assembled  multitude  in  their  various 
languages,  or,  more  properly,  in  the  dialects,  of  which 
dialects  they  formerly  had  no  knowledge — each  one  in 
some  one  dialect  to  suit  the  intelligence  of  those  from  the 
various  countries,  so  that  every  man  heard  clearly  the 
Gospel  in  his  ozun  native  tongue.  It  was  the  day  of  op- 
portunity. Jesus  made  His  advent  in  Bethlehem ;  the  Holy 
Spirit  made  His  in  Jerusalem.  Jesus  was  laid  as  a  help- 
less babe  in  a  manger ;  the  Holy  Spirit  came  in  power  in 
the  hearts  of  men.  Jesus  had  to  be  hurried  away  into 
Egypt  for  fear  of  Herod ;  the  Holy  Spirit  brought  fear 
upon  every  soul,  and  the  work  of  convicting  a  lost  race 
had  begun. 

The  First  Gospel  Discourse  (2:  14-36).— Under  the 
absolute  control  of  the  Holy  Spirit  Peter  delivered  the 
first  Gospel  sermon,  for  this  was  the  first  announcement 
that  God  had  made  Jesus  both  Lord  and  Christ,  including 
His  birth,  His  ministry,  His  death.  His  resurrection.  His 
ascension.  His  acceptance  by  the  Father  and  the  advent 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Many  were  amazed  at  hearing  the 
Gospel  in  their  native  tongues;  others,  who  heard  the 
apostles  in  dialects  which  they  did  not  understand,  re- 
garded their  talk  as  mere  babble,  and  so  they  charged  them 
with  drinking  new  wine,  or,  according  to  Jahn,  sweet 
wine,  which  was  made  from  grapes  dried  in  the  sun  and 
'7ob  26 :  13.     *'2  Pet.  1:21.     "'Ro.  8:11. 


312  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

soaked  in  old  wine,  and  was  very  intoxicating.  It  was 
nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  and,  according  to  Lightfoot, 
"Before  which  time,  especially  on  the  Sabbath  and  other 
Feast  days,  the  Jews  were  not  wont  so  much  as  to  taste 
anything  of  meat  or  drink." 

His  text  was  Joel  2:28-32,  which  was  a  part  of  the 
Scriptural  reading  of  the  synagogues  in  the  Pentecostal 
service.  The  last  days  referred  to  this  dispensation  of 
Divine  mercy.  Prophesying  referred  not  so  much  to  fore- 
telling future  events  as,  according  to  Hackett,  "commu- 
nicating religious  truth  in  general  under  Divine  inspira- 
tion." The  text  was  a  twofold  message,  namely,  referring 
to  the  advent  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  w^as  fulfilled  on 
that  day,  and  to  the  second  advent  of  Jesus,  which  will 
mark  the  close  of  this  dispensation. 

The  apostle  first  announced  the  miracles  of  Jesus  and 
His  death  and  His  resurrection  as  the  evidences  of  His 
Messiahship,  and,  second,  he  sustained  his  statements  by 
quotations  from  prophecies  in  the  Psalms,'^^  proving  that 
God  had  both  delivered  up  Jesus  to  them  and  had  raised 
Him  from  the  dead.  Since  David,  in  speaking  of  the 
Messiah,  usually  spoke  in  the  first  person,  and  the  refer- 
ence could  not  refer  to  him,  there  was  only  one  conclu- 
sion, and  that  was  that  the  prophecy  referred  unquestion- 
ably to  Christ.  The  discourse  is  one  of  the  most  wonder- 
ful utterances  on  the  inspired  pages.  It  makes  a  state- 
ment of  facts  concerning  Christ  which  for  brevity  and 
force  is  unequaled  in  sacred  or  profane  literature.  The 
whole  discourse  fell  like  a  thunderbolt. 

The  First  Christian  Converts  (2:37-47). — The 
multitude  being  convinced  that  they  had  crucified  the  Mes- 
siah and  that  He  had  ascended  to  the  Father,  and  not  un- 

'Tsas.  16:8-11:  110:1. 


Acts  i  :  i  to  8:  3.  313 

derstanding  how  they  could  ever  be  a  part  of  the  long 
looked  for  Kingdom  in  consequence  of  their  act,  sorrow 
and  perplexity  filled  their  minds,  and  they  inquired,  ''What 
shall  zve  do?" — the  greatest  question  that  had  ever  been 
asked  by  the  lost  race,  and  in  answer  to  it  the  apostle,  as- 
suming that  their  hearers  already  believed,  gave  two  com- 
mandments— ''Repent  ye  and  be  baptized,"  and  two  bless- 
ings— remission  of  sins  and  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit/'^ 
Three  thousand  persons  obeyed  in  repenting  and  being 
baptized  on  that  day.  The  numerous  swimming  pools  in 
Jerusalem  furnished  ample  room  for  baptizing,  and  since 
a  person  may  be  easily  baptized  in  a  minute,  it  can  be  cal- 
culated how  long  it  will  take  twelve  men  to  baptize  3000, 
or  how  long  it  would  take  one  hundred  and  twenty  to  do 
it,  or  the  first  of  those  who  were  baptized  in  addition  to  the 
one  hundred  and  twenty  might  have  helped  baptize  the 
others,  so  that  in  any  event  it  consumed  only  a  few  hours. 
They  continued  steadfastly  in  the  apostles'  teaching,  for 
the  commission  that  Jesus  gave  was  that  after  baptizing 
them,  "teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I 
commanded  you  ;"^-  in  fellozvship,  which  was  mutual  sym- 
pathy and  practical  charity,  as  their  brethren  had  need; 
in  breaking  of  bread,  which  referred  to  the  observance  of 
the  Lord's  Supper  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,^-'  remem- 
bering that  Jesus  said,  "This  do  in  remembrance  of  me  f^'^ 
and  in  prayer,  which  referred  to  both  private  devotions  and 
their  social  gatherings  for  praise  and  petitions — it  was  all 
so  simple  and  beautiful  in  comparison  with  the  stately- 
ritualism  of  the  Temple  service  and  that  centuries  after 
possessed  the  Church.  The  number  of  believers  increased, 
not  merely  by  the  meetings  on  the  Lord's  Days,  but  daily. ^'^ 
Said  Irenaeus,  "Where  the  Church  is,  there  is  the  Spirit  of 

"Acts  2  :  38.  ""Acts  20 :  7. 

''Mt.  28 :  20.  '"i  Cor.  1 1  :  24.      ''Acts  2  :  47. 


314  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

God ;  and  where  the  Spirit  of  God  is,  there  is  the  Church 
and  every  kind  of  grace." 

The  Second  Gospel  Discourse  (3:  12-26).— The 
miraculous  curing  of  the  lame  man  by  Peter  and  John 
caused  a  great  crowd  to  gather  in  the  Temple,  where  the 
man  had  been  laid  daily,  and  Peter  seized  the  opportunity 
for  the  delivery  of  another  discourse,  which  was  similar  to 
that  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  except  that  it  was  more  per- 
sonal and  direct,  emphasizing  the  death  of  Jesus,  His  res- 
urrection. His  power,  prophecies  concerning  liim,  the 
necessity  of  accepting  Him,  His  second  coming  and  His 
undisputed  authority  and  the  only  Guide  in  turning  one 
away  from  iniquity.  He  offered  forgiveness  on  the  same 
terms  as  given  in  his  first  discourse,  although  in  somewhat 
different  phraseolog\\ 

Again  assuming  that  they  believed,  he  gave  two  com- 
mandments— ''Repent  ye  and  turn  again,"  and  likewise 
two  blessings — the  blotting  out  of  their  sins,  which  is  the 
same  as  remission  of  sin,  and  refreshing  from  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Lord,  which  is  the  same  as  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.^^  The  prophecy  of  the  Shekinah,  symbolizing  the 
presence  of  God  in  the  Holy  of  Holies,  was  no  longer  for 
the  priests  only,  but  to  every  believer  who  accepted  Jesus. 
Of  the  expression  "turn  again"  McGarvey  said,  "When 
Peter's  hearers  heard  him  command  them  to  repent  and 
turn  for  the  same  blessing  for  which  he  had  formerly  com- 
manded them  to  repent  and  be  baptized  they  could  but  un- 
derstand that  the  generic  word  "turn"  was  used  with  spe- 
cific reference  to  baptism;  and  this  not  because  the  two 
words  mean  the  same,  but  because  men  turn  by  being 
baptized." 


""Acts  3 :  19. 


Acts  i  :  i  to  8:  3.  315 

Along  with  the  blotting  out  of  their  sins  and  the  refresh- 
ing from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  their  obedience  would 
also  bring  the  second  advent  of  Jesus,  "whom  the  Heaven 
must  receive  until  the  times  of  restoration  of  all  things"^^ 
and  "until  the  fulness  of  the  Gentiles  be  come  in."^^  When 
these  things  have  come  to  pass  Jesus  will  return — "the 
Lord  Himself."^« 

Great  Liberality  (4:  32-5  :  11). — Among  the  first  evi- 
dences of  new  life  that  had  come  to  the  human  race  was 
great  liberality  on  the  part  of  the  believers  of  their  wordly 
goods  for  those  in  need.  Christ  was  rich,  yet  for  our 
sakes  He  became  poor  f^  the  apostles  had  left  all  to  follow 
Jesus,*'^  and  they  were  supported  from  a  common  treas- 
ury.®- Jesus  required  the  young  man  to  sell  all  that  he 
had  for  the  benefit  of  the  needy,®^  but  this  does  not  appear 
to  have  been  demanded  of  the  believers  by  the  apostles, 
for  from  Peter's  remark  to  Ananias,  their  giving  seems  to 
have  been  voluntary,  and  persons  could  give  little  or 
much.®*  The  Gentiles  made  little  provision  for  their  poor, 
and  practiced  less;  the  Old  Testament  Law  distinctly  re- 
quired it,  but  it  was  generally  neglected  by  the  Jews,  so 
that  this  practice  in  the  early  Church  brought  about  en- 
tirely new  conditions — the  poor  were  not  only  cared  for, 
but  caste  was  done  away.  There  was  a  brotherhood  of 
mutual  love — a  common  equality.  Jesus  had  said,  ''By 
this  shall  all  men  know  that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye  have 
love  one  for  another."®^ 

The  presence  of  the  poor  believer  furnished  an  oppor- 
tunity for  the  rich  believer  to  practice  the  grace  of  giving, 
so  that  there  were  none  among  them  who  lacked  the  neces- 
sities of  life.     Many  sold  their  farms  and  houses  and  gave 

"Acts  3  :  21.  '"2  Cor.  8 :  9.  '''Mt.  19 :  21. 

"Ro.  II :  25.  "^Mt.  19 :  27 ;  Lu.  5:11.      *^Acts  5  :  4. 

'^''i  Thess.  4 :  16.     "'John  12 :  6 ;  13  :  29.  *"John  13  :  35. 


3i6  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

their  money  to  the  apostles  to  be  distributed  as  it  was 
needed.  Barnabas  sold  his  farm  and  gave  the  money  to 
the  apostles,  and  doubtless  Ananias  and  Sapphira,  seeking 
to  get  the  same  approval  as  had  been  given  to  Barnabas, 
planned  a  falsehood  between  themselves  and  paid  for  it  by 
the  price  of  their  lives  as  a  warning  against  pretended  lib- 
erality. Ananias  means  "gracious,"  and  Sapphira,  "beau- 
tiful." Bengel  said,  'Their  names  were  favorable  and 
beautiful ;  their  principles  were  bad." 

The  practice  of  giving  continued  to  grow,  so  that  later 
seven  men  had  to  be  appointed  to  handle  the  funds,  not  for 
keeping  and  thereby  accumulating  wealth  for  the  Church, 
but  to  distribute  it  for  the  needs  of  the  poor.  When  the 
believers  in  Antioch  learned  of  the  needs  of  their  brethren 
in  Judaea  they  sent  relief  to  them.^^  These  were  the  days 
of  the  first  philanthropy,  and  marked  the  beginning  of 
benevolence  for  mankind.  The  liberality  of  the  early 
Church  remains  as  an  example  to  all  ages,  teaching  us 
that  believers  are  only  trustees  of  their  possessions,  and 
that  the  money  of  the  believer  must  be  consecrated  to  God 
for  the  good  of  humanity.""  Those  in  wealth  should  not 
allow  their  brethren  in  the  Church  to  suffer  for  the  neces- 
sities of  life. 

The  Seven  Chosen  (6:  1-7). — In  the  distribution  of 
the  funds  to  the  needy  a  whispered  dissatisfaction  arose 
which  marked  the  first  appearance  of  discord  in  the  early 
Church.  The  Grecian  Jews  were  those  Jews  who  were 
born  outside  of  Palestine,  and  the  Hebrews  were  the  Jews 
born  in  Palestine.  Along  with  their  liberality  of  money, 
the  early  Church  practiced  a  policy  of  unusual  liberality  in 
this  instance  in  selecting  the  seven  from  among  the 
Grecian  Jews,  judging  from  their  names,  which  was  the 

~Acts  II :  27-30.     ^'Mt.  25  :  14-30 ;  Lu.  13  :  69. 


Acts  i  :  i  to  8:  3.  317 

party  that  made  the  murmuring.  The  qtiaHfications  were 
'*men  of  good  report,"  referring  to  their  reputations,  "full 
of  the  Spirit,"  referring  to  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit,  and  "of 
wisdom,"  referring  to  their  common  sense.  The  choice 
was  made  by  the  people. 

They  were  ordained  by  the  laying  on  of  hands,  which 
was  a  practice  that  reached  through  the  Old  Testament  to 
the  time  of  Moses,  who  ordained  Joshua  by  the  beautiful 
service  of  the  laying  on  of  hands,''^  and  it  has  always  im- 
plied a  blessing.  While  the  duty  of  these  first  deacons, 
for  such  seems  to  be  the  title  of  their  office,  although  it  is 
not  so  named  here,  was  to  remain  at  the  table,  where  the 
money  was  brought  for  its  reception  into  the  treasury  ;  two 
of  them  at  least  preached  in  connection  with  the  sacred 
trust  of  the  finances  of  the  flock,  but  the  apostles  continued 
steadfastly  in  prayer  and  in  the  ministry  of  the  Word,  to 
which  they  had  been  appointed.  There  is  no  real  preach- 
ing zvithouf  prayer,  which  precedes  and  prepares  all 
preaching. 

The  Martyrdom  of  Stephen  (6:8-8:  i). — The  Jews, 
who  first  opposed  Stephen,  were  the  Libertines  or  Free- 
men, who,  having  been  enslaved  for  some  cause,  had  been 
given  their  liberty  and  had  returned  to  Palestine;  the 
Cyrenians,  who  had  formerly  lived  in  Cyrene,  Africa ;  the 
Alexandrians,  who  were  from  Alexandria,  Egypt,  where 
the  Jews  enjoyed  great  freedom  and  composed  one-third 
of  the  population  of  the  city ;  from  Cilicia  and  Asia,  which 
were  Roman  provinces  in  Asia  Minor — all  these  had  dif- 
ferent synagogues  in  Jerusalem.  Unable  to  answer  Ste- 
phen and  unwilling  to  acknowledge  Jesus  as  the  Messiah, 
they  resorted  to  persecution,  and  Stephen  was  brought 
before  the  Sanhedrin  on  the  charge  of  blasphemy,  which, 

•*Nu.  27: 18;  Du.  34:9. 


3i8  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

under  the  Jewish  law,  was  an  attempt  to  turn  the  people 
against  Moses  and  God,  and,  like  treason,  it  was  punish- 
able with  death. 

Stephen's  address  is  not  so  much  a  defense  as  it  is  a 
discourse  to  convict  his  hearers,  and  so  he  showed  that 
the  Jewish  nation  had  resisted  God's  mercy  in  the  selling 
of  Joseph,  in  the  rejection  of  Moses,  in  the  apostasy  at 
Mount  Sinai,  in  their  later  idolatries,  in  their  persecution 
of  the  prophets,  and  had  themselves  become  the  betrayers 
and  murderers  of  the  Messiah.  Like  Antony's  famous 
oration,  'Triends,  Romans,  countrymen,  lend  me  your 
ears,"  it  was  addressed  with  due  respect  to  this  high  Jew- 
ish council,  and  his  charge  of  stiffneckedness  and  uncir- 
cumcision  in  heart  and  ears  was  terms  borrowed  from 
Moses  and  the  prophets.^^  Of  Stephen,  William  Cleaver 
Wilkinson  wrote : — 

"A  mien  of  something  more  than  majesty 
In  Stephen  as  he  spoke,  transfiguring  him ; 
Conscious  authority  loftier  than  pride; 
Deep  calm,  which  made  intensity  seem  weak ; 
Slow  weight  more  insupportable  than  speed ; 
Passion  so  pure  that  its  effect  was  peace, 
Beautifying  his  face;  betokened  power 
Beneath  him  that  supported  him,  behind 
Him  that  impelled,  above  him  and  within 
That  steadied  him  immovable,  supplied 
As  from  a  fountain  of  omnipotence ; 
An  air  breathed  around  him  of  prophetic,  rapt 
Solemnity  oppressive  beyond  words, 
And  dread  communication  from  the  Throne." 

While  the  Romans  had  taken  away  from  the  Jews  the 
right  of  inflicting  the  death  penalty,  so  that  at  the  cruci- 
fixion of  Jesus  they  had  to  get  Pilate's  sanction,  in  this 

''Du.  9 :  6,  13  ;  Jer.  6 :  10 ;  9 :  26. 


Acts  i  :  i  to  8:  3.  319 

case  they  appeared  to  ignore  all  Roman  restriction,  or  it 
may  have  been  between  the  recall  of  Pilate  and  the  arrival 
of  his  successor.  Like  that  of  Jesus,  it  is  another  case  of 
lynching,  and  instead  of  crucifying  Stephen,  their  rage  ap- 
pears to  have  hastened  them  by  a  quicker  way  to  death, 
and  so  they  stoned  him,  according  to  the  Old  Testament 
Law,  with  two  witnesses  casting  the  first  stones  and  then 
others  joining  in.'^^  Dante  puts  upon  the  lips  of  Saul,  who 
"was  consenting  unto  his  death,"  these  graphic  words : — 

"And  I  beheld  him  on  his  knees  low  bowed, 
To  earth  bent  down  as  heavy  death  drew  near ; 
But  evermore  his  eyes  as  Heaven's  gate  show'd. 
And  in  that  strife  to  Heaven's  high  Lord  his  prayer 
He  pour'd,  that  He  his  fierce  foes  would  forgive 
With  such  a  look  as  unlocks  pity's  door." 

The  discourse  of  Stephen  marked  the  transition  of 
Christianity  from  the  limits  of  Judaism  to  a  universal  re- 
ligion, and  his  death  marked  the  transition  of  the  Church 
from  a  Jewish  community  to  a  world-wide  fraternity. 
Said  Alford,  "Stephen,  under  accusation  of  blaspheming 
the  earthly  Temple,  is  granted  a  sight  of  the  heavenly 
Temple  ;  being  cited  before  the  Sadducaic  high  priest,  who 
believed  neither  angel  nor  spirit,  he  is  vouchsafed  a  vision 
of  the  heavenly  High  Priest,  standing  and  ministering  at 
the  Throne,  amidst  the  angels  and  just  men  made  per- 
fect." Augustine  traced  a  parallel  between  the  death  of 
Stephen  and  that  of  Jesus ;  the  charges  the  same,  the  con- 
demnation the  same,  the  prayers  the  same.  Lyman  Ab- 
bott suggested  a  contrast:  Christ  crucified,  a  lingering 
death  ;  Stephen  stoned,  an  almost  immediate  death ;  Christ 
was  forsaken  of  His  Father;  Stephen  with  the  glory  of 
God  and  of  his  Lord  and  Saviour,  radiant  before  Him; 


'"Lev.  24:  16;  Du.  i; 


320  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

but  whether  paralleled  or  contrasted  in  circumstances  with 
Jesus,  he  was  like  Him  in  character,  and  Christ  so  illumi- 
nated with  His  glory  the  whole  personality  of  this  first 
martyr  of  the  Christian  faith  that  His  reflection  still  re- 
mains in  the  mirror  of  the  world's  memory. 


Fill  me  with  Thy  Holy  Spirit,  O  Lord,  and  while  I  treas- 
ure the  picture  of  the  ascension  help  me  that  I  may  keep 
untarnished  the  hope  of  the  second  advent  of  Jesus.  Per- 
secutions, afflictions,  hardships  and  disappointments  are 
the  text-books  of  Thy  schoolroom  by  the  side  of  Thy 
psalms  of  joy,  peace,  service  and  triumph.  With  Thy  com- 
mandments for  my  redemption  Thou  didst  bind  Thy  bless- 
ings for  mv  glory.  Thy  forgiveness  of  my  sins  and  Thy 
indwelling  in  me  of  Thy  Holy  Spirit  hath  made  me  a  mem- 
ber of  Thy  household.  Grant  unto  Thy  servant  boldness 
both  in  prayer  and  in  speech ;  guide  me  that  I  may  care  to 
obey  Thee  above  all  the  teachings  of  men,  and  that  I  may 
know  out  of  my  own  experience  that  there  is  none  other 
Name  under  heaven  that  is  given  among  men  whereby  I 
must  be  saved  but  the  blessed  Name  of  Jesus,  to  whom  be 
glory  and  dominion  for  ever.    Amen. 


Questions. 


I.  Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter.  2.  Give  the  divisions  of  the  book  of 
Acts.  3.  What  the  title  and  limit  of  the  first  division?  4.  Name 
the  chapters  of  this  division?  5.  What  of  the  Acts  in  comparison 
with  other  books  of  the  Bible?  6.  What  is  the  book  of  Acts? 
7.  What  of  its  title?  8.  What  are  the  beginnings  mentioned  in  it? 
9.  What  of  it  as  a  book  of  conversion?  10.  As  a  book  of  mis- 
sions? II.  As  a  book  of  persecutions?  12.  What  of  its  author 
and  date?  13.  How  is  the  believer  a  continuation  of  the  Hfe  of 
Christ?  14.  Explain  the  waiting  for  the  power.  15.  Give  a  full 
account  of  the  ascension  and  its  two  great  lessons.  16.  What  of 
the  Upper  Chamber?     17.  What  of  the  choice  of  Matthias?     18. 


Acts  i  :  i   to  8:  3.  321 

What  of  the  day  of  Pentecost?  19.  Give  a  full  account  of  the 
advent  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  20.  Locate  on  the  map  all  the  countries 
from  which  the  hearers  had  come  (2:5-11).  21.  Explain  fully 
the  first  Gospel  discourse.  22.  Give  a  full  account  of  the  first 
Christian  converts  and  tell  how  they  were  added  to  the  Lord. 
23.  Give  an  account  of  the  first  recorded  miracle  by  Peter  and 
John  (3:1-10).  24.  Explain  the  second  Gospel  discourse.  25. 
What  was  the  result  of  the  discourse  (4:  1-4)  ?  26.  What  of  the 
trial  of  Peter  and  John  before  the  Sanhedrin  (4 :  5-22)  ?  27.  What 
was  their  prayer  on  being  set  free  (4:23-31)?  28.  What  of  the 
great  liberaHty  of  the  believers?  29.  What  was  the  result  of  the 
apostles  working  miracles  and  the  behevers  multiplying  (5  :  12-18)  ? 

30.  What  of  the  second  defense  before  the  Sanhedrin  (5:  19-40)  ? 

31.  How  did  they  receive  the  public  whipping  (5:41,  42)?  32. 
What  of  the  seven?  33.  What  of  the  increase  of  the  Word  (6:  7)  ? 
34.  What  of  the  martyrdom  of  Stephen?  35.  Sum  up  the  first  and 
second  arrest  of  Peter  and  John  and  the  killing  of  Stephen.  36. 
To  what  extent  was  the  general  persecution  in  Jerusalem  (8 : 1-3)  ? 
;i,y.  What  is  your  prayer  in  the  light  of  this  message  ? 


ACTS. 

II.     The  Planting  of  the  Church  in  Samaria  and 
JuD^A. — 8 :  4-12 :  25. 


"They  therefore  that  were  scattered  abroad  went  about  preach- 
ing the  Word."— Lm^^  (Acts  8:4). 


"PhiHp  opened  his  mouth,  and  beginning  from  this  Scripture, 
preached  unto  him  Jesus." — Luke  (Acts  8:35). 


'What  shall  I  do,  Lord?"— ^aw/  to  Jesus  (22:  10). 


"He  shall  speak  unto  thee  words,  whereby  thou  shalt  be  saved, 
thou  and  all  thy  house." — The  Angel  to  Cornelius  (11 :  14). 


"Of  a  truth  I  perceive  that  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons :  but 
in  every  nation  he  that  feareth  Him,  and  worketh  righteousness, 
is  acceptable  to  Him." — Peter  before  Cornelius  and  his  Household 
(10:34,35)- 


"As  I  began  to  speak,  the  Holy  Spirit  fell  on  them,  even  as  on 
us  at  the  beginning. — Peter  before  the  Apostles  and  Brethren  in 
Jerusalem  (11 :  15). 


"The  disciples  were  called  Christians  first  in  Antioch." — Luke 
(Acts  II 126). 


"An  angel  of  the  Lord  stood  by  him,  and  a  light  shined  in  the 
cell;  and  he  smote  Peter  on  the  side,  and  awoke  him,  saying,  Rise 
up  quickly." — Luke  (Acts  12:  7). 


ACTS. 

11.     The  Planting  of  the  Church  in  Samaria  and 
JuD.^A. — 8 :  4-12 :  25. 

The  first  several  years  of  the  Church  appear  to  have 
been  occupied  in  preaching. the  Gospel  in  Jerusalem,  and 
the  last  figures  given  of  the  number  of  believers  there 
were  5000  men/  so  that,  including  both  men  and  women, 
there  must  have  been,  up  to  the  time  of  the  martyrdom  of 
Stephen,  not  fewer  than  25,000  disciples  in  Jerusalem,  or 
even  more,  for  in  the  next  chapter  it  was  said  to  the 
apostles  by  the  high  priest,  "Ye  have  filled  Jerusalem 
with  your  teaching."-  A  general  persecution  immediately 
followed  the  martyrdom  of  Stephen.  Doubtless  the  ene- 
mies of  Christianity  found  that  there  were  fewer  to  oppose 
the  killing  of  Stephen  than  they  had  estimated,  and  the 
disciples  were  scattered  throughout  Judcea  and  Samaria, 
except  the  apostles. 

Philip  in  Samaria  and  on  the  Way  to  Gaza  (8 : 4- 
40). — Stephen  being  killed,  Philip  was  left  as  the  next  in 


Markings. — Undermark,  8:  4,  35;  9:  i,  5,  16,  20,  31 ;  10:  29;  11 : 
I,  15,  17;  latter  part  of  11:26,  and  also  nndermark  the  words 
"Samaria"  in  8:5;  "Philip"  in  8:6;  "Simon"  in  8:9;  "Peter  and 
John"  in  8 :  14 ;  "repent"  and  "and  pray"  in  8 :  22 ;  "Damascus"  in 
9:3;  "Ananias"  in  9:  10;  "a  chosen  vessel"  in  9:  15;  "to  kill  him" 
in  9 :  23  ;  "Barnabas"  in  9 :  27 ;  "yEneas"  in  9 :  33 ;  "Tabitha"  in 
9:36;  "Csesarea"  and  "Cornelius"  in  10:1;  "an  angel"  in  10:3; 
"Peter"  in  10:  5;  "the  house  top"  in  10:  9;  "to  hear  words"  in  10: 
22;  "Peter"  in  11:4;  "a  vision"  in  11:5;  "words"  in  11:14; 
"Phoenicia,"  "Cyprus"  and  "Antioch"  in  11:19;  "Barnabas"  in 
11:22;  "Agabus"  in  11:28;  "Herod"  in  12:  i;  "killed  James"  in 

^Acts  4 :  4.      'Acts  5  :  28. 


326  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

prominence  among  the  Jerusalem  disciples,  except  the 
apostles,  he  being  named  second  in  the  list  of  the  seven 
deacons.  x\lthough  not  having  the  gifts  of  the  apostles, 
he  proved  himself  a  ready  preacher,  and  he  came  to  be 
called  'Thilip,  the  evangelist."^ 

Bitter  hatred  existed  between  the  Jews  and  the  Samari- 
tans. In  the  Talmud  it  was  said,  *'He  who  takes  the 
bread  of  a  Samaritan  is  like  him  who  eats  the  flesh  of 
swine.  No  Israelite  may  receive  a  Samaritan  as  a  prose- 
lyte ;  this  accursed  people  shall  have  no  part  in  the  resur- 
rection of  the  dead."  While  in  His  earthly  ministry  Jesus 
forbade  His  aposdes  to  go  either  to  the  Gentiles  or  the 
Samaritans,  yet  He  went  the  long  dusty  road  Himself  to 
Jacob's  well  at  Sychar  to  declare  His  Messiahship  to  the 
outcast  woman  of  Samaria.  On  His  resurrection  His 
commission  was,  "Make  disciples  of  all  the  nations." 
Philip  went  first  to  the  people  that  was  most  hated  by  his 
own  nation  and  into  the  former  capital  of  the  ten  rebel- 
lious tribes.  It  is  significant  that  Jesus  first  told  the 
Samaritans  that  He  is  the  Messiah,  and  on  leaving 
Jerusalem  the  disciples  went  first  to  the  Samaritans,  seem- 
ing to  imply  that  Jesus  regarded  them  as  next  to  the  Jews, 

12:2;  ''seize  Peter  also"  in  12:3;  "an  angel"  and  "Rise  up 
quickly"  "^  12:7;  "Mary"  in  12 :  12 ;  "Rhoda"  in  12:  13;  "Herod" 
in  12:  21. 

Mark,  8:  12,  17,  38;  9:6,  18,  22,  27,  34,  41 ;  10:  2,  17,  24,  44,  48; 
II :  12,  16,  18,  20,  29;  12:  II,  23,  25. 

Personal  mark,  latter  half  of  10:  34,  35. 

Mark  with  cross,  10 :  39. 

Mark  with  P,  meaning  prayer,  8:  15,  22,  24;  9:  10.  11,  13,  40; 
10:2,  4.  9,  31;  11:5;  12:5,  12. 

The  names  of  the  chapters  of  the  second  division :  9 — Conver- 
sion of  Saul  and  Two  Miracles  by  Peter ;  10 — Conversion  of  Cor- 
nehus  and  His  Household;  11— Reception  of  the  Gentiles  into  the 
Church  Justified  and  the  Disciples  first  called  Christians;  12— 
Death  of  James  and  the  Miraculous  Deliverance  of  Peter  from 
Prison. 

'Acts  21 :  8. 


Acts  8:4  to  12 :  25.  327 

or  to  deal  with  one's  enemies  first  is  the  way  to  triumph. 
The  Samaritans  had  the  Pentateuch  and  a  worship  mod- 
eled after  that  in  the  Jerusalem  Temple. 

The  city  of  Samaria  was  built  in  the  tenth  century  be- 
fore Christ  by  Omri  as  the  capital  of  the  Northern  King- 
dom, at  that  time  called  Israel.  It  was  taken  by  the  As- 
syrians, and  from  that  time  on  it  was  the  center  of  the  life 
of  the  mixed  race,  who  were  neither  Jews  nor  foreigners, 
but  partly  of  both,  being  descendants  of  those  Jews  who 
were  left  in  the  land  and  of  those  foreigners  who  re- 
peopled  the  land  after  the  captivity.  They  took  the  name 
of  Samaritans  from  the  name  of  their  chief  city,  as  the 
Romans  had  done  from  Rome.  Under  Herod  the  Great 
the  city  was  magnificently  beautified  and  its  name  was 
changed  to  Sebaste,  which  was  the  Greek  equivalent  of 
Augustus,  Herod's  imperial  patron. 

In  His  commission,  according  to  Mark,*  Jesus  said, 
"He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved."  Luke 
records  that  when  they  believed  Philip  they  were  baptized, 
both  men  and  women,'  furnishing  a  splendid  example  of 
perfect  conformity  to  the  directions  of  Jesus.  Those 
believers  had  received  the  remission  of  sins  and  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,^  but  inasmuch  as  Philip  could  not  re- 
main there  nor  the  apostles  because  of  calls  to  other  fields 
of  labor,  and  inasmuch  as  the  New  Testament  had  not 
been  written  to  leave  them  a  proper  guide,  it  was  necessary 
that  there  should  be  some  inspired  teachers  among  them; 
so  Peter  and  John,  by  prayer  and  the  laying  on  of  hands, 
gave  them  the  miraculous  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which 
appears  to  have  been  a  power  that  could  be  given  only 
by  the  apostles  and  for  which  purpose  they  went  into 
Samaria.     Some  years  before  John  wanted  to  call  down 


'Mk.  16  :  16.      =Acts  8 :  12.      'Acts  2 :  38. 


328  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

fire  upon  the  Samaritan  village  ;^  now  he,  with  Peter,  be- 
comes the  instrument  through  whom  the  choice  blessing 
of  Heaven  comes  to  the  Samaritan  nation,  and  this  is  the 
last  mention  of  John  in  the  book  of  Acts. 

One  Simon,  a  sorcerer,  a  magician  or  fortune-teller, 
called  in  legendary  stories  Magus,  the  singular  of  the 
Latin  magi,  "also  himself  believed,  and  being  baptized,  he 
continued  with  Philip,"  and  when  he  saw  that  through  the 
laying  on  of  the  apostles'  hands  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  was  given — for  it  could  not  come  through  the  laying 
on  of  Philip's  hands,  neither  did  it  come  directly  from 
Pleaven,  as  on  the  apostles  on  the  day  of  Pentecost — 
Simon  offered  to  purchase  the  art,  which  appears  to  show 
that  those  upon  whom  the  apostles'  hands  had  been  laid 
evinced  miraculous  power,  different  from  the  ordinary 
gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  From  this  proposition  has  come 
the  word  simony,  which  means  a  traffic  in  sacred  things 
for  one's  personal  advantage.  Having  believed  and  been 
baptized,  he  was  told  to  do  two  things  in  order  to  be 
restored — repent  and  pray,  which  is  the  way  of  pardon  to 
all  believers  through  all  ages.  Not  only  our  acts,  but  our 
thoughts  need  to  be  forgiven. 

Under  the  direction  of  an  angel  Philip  went  on  the  way 
from  Jerusalem  to  Gaza,  which,  according  to  British  engi- 
neers of  the  Palestine  Exploration  Fund,  was  a  paved 
road,  and  parts  of  it  are  still  found.  A  cabinet  officer  of 
Candace,  which,  like  that  of  Pharaoh  in  Egypt,  was  a  title 
of  a  dynasty  ruling  in  that  territory  lying  south  of  Egypt, 
was  returning  from  Jerusalem,  where  he  had  been  to  wor- 
ship, doubtless  attending  one  of  the  three  great  Festivals, 
for  he  was  either  a  Jew  or  a  proselyte  to  that  faith. 

He  was  reading  Isaiah  53 :  7,  8,  and  it  was  no  unusual 

'Lu.  9 :  54. 


Acts  8:4  to  12:25.  329 

thing  for  persons  to  read  aloud  as  they  traveled  on  those 
long  journeys.  Philip  preached  Jesus,  and  this  included 
His  birth,  ministry,  death,  resurrection,  commission,  as- 
cension and  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  so  it  is  no 
surprise  that  he  said,  "Behold,  here  is  water;  what  doth 
hinder  me  to  be  baptized?" — a  perfect  conformity  to  the 
commission  again ;  believing  and  being  baptized.  Robin- 
son in  his  Biblical  Researches,  McGarvey  in  his  Lands  of 
the  Bible  and  others  have  located  several  places  on  that 
road,  both  natural  springs  and  artificial  pools,  which 
would  have  furnished  sufficient  water  for  baptism.  More 
than  seven  hundred  years  before  Isaiah  predicted  of  Ethi- 
opia, which  he  called  "the  land  of  the  rustling  of  wings," 
that  in  that  time  it  would  send  a  present  unto  Jehovah  of 
hosts,  and  who  will  say  that  this  Ethiopian  official  was 
not  its  fulfilment?^ 

The  Conversion  of  Paul  (9:1-31;  22:5-16). In 

some  respects  the  conversion  of  Saul,  who  was  also  called 
Paul,»  was  like  that  of  all  others ;  in  other  respects  it  is 
without  a  parallel,  being  a  prophecy  of  the  conversion  of 
the  Jewish  nation.  Concerning  the  first,  he  heard,  he 
suffered  all  the  pangs  of  repentance  and  he  was  baptized, 
and  so  his  was  like  the  conversion  of  the  3000  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost.  Baptism  appears  to  have  been  usually  admin- 
istered immediately,  but  in  this  case  alone  it  was  delayed 
for  three  days,  during  which  time  Paul  was  in  earnest 
prayer. 

Concerning  the  second,  his  conversion  was  unlike  that 
of  any  other.  Jesus  was  Himself  the  preacher,  whom 
Paul,  like  Stephen,  beheld  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father, 
and  that  he  should  see  Jesus  was  a  necessary  part  of  his 
apostolic  commission.    Writing  to  the  Church  at  Corinth, 

'Isa.  18 :  7.     "Acts  13  :  9. 


330 


Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 


he  said,  "Have  I  not  seen  Jesus  our  Lord?"^^  And  in  the 
same  letter  he  continues,  "Last  of  all,  as  to  the  child  un- 
timely born,  He  appeared  to  me  also.""  Untimely  born  is 
to  he  horn  hefore  the  time,  consequently  there  must  be  a 
time  for  the  normal  birth  of  the  whole  Jewish  nation  into 
Christianity,  and  that  time  appears  to  be  at  Christ's  second 
advent— "A  hardening  in  part  hath  befallen  Israel,  until 
the  fulness  of  the  Gentiles  be  come  in ;  and  so  all  Israel 
shall  be  saved,  even  as  it  is  written, — 

'There  shall  come  out  of  Zion  the  Deliverer ; 
He  shall  turn  away  ungodliness  from  Jacob : 
And  this  is  my  covenant  unto  them, 
When  I  shall  take  away  their  sins.'  "^' 

The  very  pangs  of  Paul's  repentance  and  his  earnest 
prayer  became  a  prophecy — "Behold,  He  cometh  with  the 
clouds ;  and  every  eye  shall  see  Him,  and  they  that  pierced 
Him,  and  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  shall  mourn  over 
Him."^^  Also,  'T  will  pour  upon  the  house  of  David,  and 
upon  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  the  spirit  of  grace  and 
of  supplication ;  and  they  shall  look  unto  me  whom  they 
have  pierced ;  and  they  shall  mourn  for  Him,  as  one 
mourneth  for  his  only  son,  and  shall  be  in  bitterness  for 
Him,  as  one  that  is  in  bitterness  for  his  first-born."^"*  Be- 
sides in  writing  to  Timothy,  Paul  mentions  his  obtaining 
of  mercy  from  Jesus  Christ  as  an  "ensaniple  of  them  that 
should  thereafter  believe  on  him  unto  eternal  life."^'^ 

If  the  chief  of  the  persecutors  of  Jesus  obtained  mercy, 
surely  there  is  mercy  for  the  whole  nation.  Jesus  revealed 
Himself  to  Paul,  but  did  not  tell  him  what  to  do,  save  to 
go  into  the  city  and  there  ''it  shall  be  told  thee  what  thou 
must  do ;"  likewise  it  is  inferred  that  the  Jewish  nation 

^°i  Cor.  9:  I.  '=Ro.  11:25-27.       "Zcch.  12:  10. 

"i  Cor.  15  :  8.        "Rev.   i :  7.  ^=1  Tim.  i :  16. 


Acts  8:  4  to  12:  25.  331 

shall  behold  Jesus,  but  from  the  mouth  of  the  Gentiles 
they  will  be  told  what  they  must  do. 

Damascus  is  perhaps  the  oldest  city  in  the  world,  its 
founder,  according  to  tradition,  being  Uz,  the  great-grand- 
son of  Noah.  x\braham  fought  under  its  walls  ;^'^  David 
took  it  ;^^  it  became  the  capital  of  Syria  ;^'*  it  was  taken  by 
the  Assyrians,^'-^  and  after  that  it  passed  under  the  rule  of 
every  rising  nation.  In  635  it  fell  to  the  Moslems,  and 
since  15 16  it  has  been  a  part  of  the  Ottoman  empire. 
Beautifully  situated,  well  watered,  surrounded  by  a  fertile 
country,  on  approaching  it,  Mohammed  said,  as  he  turned 
his  head  away  from  it,  "Man  can  have  but  one  Paradise 
and  my  Paradise  is  fixed  above."  Although  the  street 
called  Straight  is  now  only  a  narrow  lane,  in  the  apostolic 
(lays  it  was  a  hundred  feet  wide  and  long  rows  of  Corin- 
thian colonnades  divided  it  into  three  avenues,  the  central 
for  carriages  and  the  two  on  either  side  for  walkways. 

It  appears  that  the  Sanhedrin  exercised  power  over  the 
Jews  in  all  parts  of  the  Roman  empire.  In  47  B.  C.  Julius 
Caesar  issued  a  decree  that,  'Tlyrcanus  and  his  children  do 
retain  all  the  rights  of  high  priest,  whether  established  by 
law  or  accorded  by  courtesy ;  and  if  hereafter  any  question 
arise  touching  the  Jewish  polity,  I  desire  that  the  de- 
termination thereof  be  referred  to  me,"  and  this  decree  re- 
mained in  force  for  many  years,  sustaining  the  high 
priest's  jurisdiction  over  all  the  Jews  everywhere,  and,  if 
necessary,  by  the  force  of  Roman  arms.  Because  of  this, 
Paul's  letters  or  passports  from  the  high  priest  gave  him 
full  authority  to  go  into  another  province. 

With  intense  earnestness,  Jesus  said,  "Saul,  Saul,"  as 
he  had  said  to  Peter, "vSimon,  Simon,"-"  and  "O,  Jerusalem, 


"Gen.  14:15.  '^i  Kgs.  11:23-25.       ""Ln.  22:31. 

"2  Sam.  8:6.  ''2  Kgs.  16:9. 


332  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Jerusalem,"-'  and  so  frequently  in  John's  Gospel,  "Verily, 
verily."  The  men  with  Him  heard  the  sound  of  the  voice, 
but  could  not  understand  the  language.--  Said  Matthew 
Henry,  ''He  thought  he  was  persecuting  only  a  company 
of  poor,  weak,  silly  people,  that  were  an  offense  and  eye- 
sore to  the  Pharisees,  little  imagining  that  it  was  One  in 
Heaven  that  he  was  all  this  while  insulting ;  for  surely  if 
he  had  known,  he  would  not  have  persecuted  the  Lord  of 
glory.  Those  who  persecute  the  saints  persecute  Christ 
Himself,  and  He  takes  what  is  done  against  them  as  done 
against  Himself,  and  accordingly  will  be  the  judgment  in 
the  great  day."-^ 

Convinced  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the  Messiah,  Saul 
was  bewildered,  like  those  Jews  on  the  day  of  Pentecost 
and  overcome  with  grief  and  perplexity  at  his  sin  of  per- 
secuting the  Messiah,  he  asked,  "What  shall  I  do, 
Lord?"-* 

The  self-willed  man  had  been  conquered,  and,  said 
Stalker,  "Instead  of  the  proud  Pharisee  riding  through  the 
streets  with  the  pomp  of  an  inquisitor,  a  stricken  man, 
trembling,  groping,  clinging  to  the  hand  of  his  guide  ar- 
rives at  the  house  of  entertainment  amid  the  consternation 
of  those  who  receive  him,  and,  getting  hastily  to  a  room 
where  he  can  ask  them  to  leave  him  alone,  sinks  down 
there  in  the  darkness."  Later,  by  the  laying  on  of  hands, 
Ananias  restored  him  his  sight  and  commanded  him  to 
"arise  and  be  baptized."-^  Straightway  Paul  proclaimed 
Jesus  in  the  synagogues,  retired  into  Arabia  for  awhile, 
returned  to  Damascus,  when  by  his  preaching  he  first 
amazed  the  Jews,  then  confounded  them,  and  then  they 
plotted  to  kill  him.  He  made  his  escape  to  Jerusalem  and 
boldly  proclaimed  Jesus  to  the  Grecian  Jews,  to  whom 

-'Mt.  23  :  37.  =^Mt.  25  :  45.  -^\cts  22 :  16. 

"Acts  9 :  7.  '"Acts  22 :  10. 


Acts  8:4  to  12:  25.  333 

Stephen  had  preached,  and  again  had  to  make  his  escape 
from  that  city,  and  went  to  Caesarea,  and  then  to  Tarsus. 
He  had  already  fulfilled  a  part  of  his  commission.-^' 

The  Conversion  of  Cornelius  (10:  i-ii :  18). Some 

years  had  passed,  perhaps  ten,  since  the  advent  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  the  captain  of  the  Italian  band,  containing  from 
fifty  to  one  hundred  soldiers,  stationed  at  Ccxsarea,  and 
likely  himself  an  Italian,  is  converted  to  Christianity,  which 
marked  another  period  in  the  onward  conquest  of  the  new 
faith.     He  was  the  first  Gentile  convert,  and  is  the  only 
instance  in  the  Scriptures  of  a  soldier's  being  converted  to 
Christ.     According  to  the  Talmud,  the  proselytes  to  Juda- 
ism  were   divided    into  two  classes— "proselytes   of   the 
gates,"  who  were  those  Gentiles  who  accepted  Jehovah 
but  remained  uncircumcised,  and  "proselytes  of  righteous- 
ness," who  accepted  the  entire  ceremonial  law.      While 
Cornelius  had  profited  greatly  by  the  principles  of  Judaism, 
he  appears  to  have  been  only  a  "proselyte  of  the  gate." 
He  was  a  devout,  prayerful  and  charitable  man ;  his  pray- 
ers and  liberal  giving  had  "gone  up  for  a  memorial  before 
God;"  an  angel  had  spoken  to  him  and  his  prayers  had 
been  answered,  but  zvith  all  this  he  zvas  not  saved.     A  man 
of  like  character  in  this  day  would  be  stoutly  defended  by 
many  Christians  as  being  saved,  but  Cornelius  was  com- 
manded by  an  angel  to  send  for  Peter,  "who  shall  speak 
unto  thee  words  whereby  thou  shalt  be  saved,  thou  and  all 
thy  house."-'^ 

Unlike  his  discourse  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  which  was 
addressed  to  Jews,  Peter,  beginning  with  God's  accept- 
ance of  character,  proceeded  to  show  that  Jesus  is  the 
necessary  supplement  to  all  character  and  is  Himself  "the 
Judge  of  the  living  and  the  dead."     While  he  spoke  the 

""Acts  9:  15,  16.      -"^A.cls  11:  14. 


334 


Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 


Holy  Spirit  fell  on  them  who  heard,  as  on  the  apostles  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost.  Inasmuch  as  they  spoke  miracu- 
lously with  tongues,  it  could  not  have  been  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  which  was  received  by  all  who  repented  and 
were  baptized,  and  inasmuch  as  it  came  directly  from 
Heaven  it  was  unlike  the  miraculous  power  of  the  Spirit, 
which  came  by  the  laying  on  of  the  apostles'  hands,  as 
with  the  Samaritans,  consequently  it  has  only  one  parallel, 
and  Peter  called  it  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit — ''even 
as  on  us  at  the  beginning.  And  I  remembered  the  Word  of 
the  Lord,  how  he  said,  John  indeed  baptized  with  water : 
but  ye  shall  be  baptized  in  the  Holy  Spirit."-* 

The  first  baptism  was  on  the  Jews  and  the  second  was 
on  the  Gentiles — "God  gave  unto  them  the  like  gift  as  He 
did  also  unto  us."-''  This  completes  one  of  the  greatest 
historical  facts  of  our  common  faith,  demonstrating  the 
equality  of  all  mankind  and  affirming  "as  through  one 
trespass  (Adam's)  the  judgment  came  unto  all  men  to 
condemnation ;  even  so  through  one  act  of  righteousness 
(Jesus')  the  free  gift  came  unto  all  men  to  justification  of 
life."^''  Not  the  recognition  of  the  Gentiles  as  fit  subjects 
for  the  Kingdom  amazed  the  Jewish  believers  so  much,  but 
it  was  ''the  like  gift"  as  on  the  Jews  on  the  day  of  Pen- 
tecost. The  equality  caused  the  great  surprise  to  the 
Jewish  believers,  and  when  Peter  returned  to  Jerusalem 
he  was  severely  criticised  by  the  brethren  there,  but  after 
explaining  his  vision  on  the  housetop  and  the  baptism  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  they  all  glorified  God,  saying,  "Then  to 
the  Gentiles  also  hath  God  granted  repentance  unto  life.""'^ 
Henceforth  the  Jews  and  Gentiles  were  on  equality. 

In  the  eyes  of  many  believers,  after  such  a  wonderful 
experience,  water  baptism  would  be  declared  unnecessary, 

''Acts  II  :  15.  16.     -^\cts  II  :  17.      ^^''Ro.  5 :  iS.     "Acts  11 :  18. 


Acts  8:4  to  12:25.  .  335 

but  Peter  "commanded  them  to  be  baptized  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ,"*^-  for  neither  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  nor  the  miraculous  .2:ift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  appears 
to  have  any  connection  with  the  remission  of  sins,  as  it 
has  no  mention  with  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  nor  with  the  miraculous  gift  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  on  the  Samaritans,  both  of  these  having  had 
the  remission  of  their  sins  previously  to  the  miraculous  gift 
of  the  Spirit.  Cornelius  had  received  the  angelic  messen- 
ger— this  assured  him  that  he  was  acceptable  unto  God ; 
the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  fell  upon  this  Gentile  house- 
hold— this  assured  the  Jewish  brethren  that  Gentiles  and 
Jews  were  on  equality.  Instead  of  hindering  Peter  in  his 
discourse,  it  rather  hastened  him  to  its  conclusion,  which 
was  that  they  should  be  baptized  into  Christ,  just  as  the 
Jewish  converts  had  been. 

Commenting  on  this  passage,  John  Wesley  said :  "He 
does  not  say  they  have  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit ;  therefore, 
they  do  not  need  baptism  with  water.  But  just  the  con- 
trary ;  if  they  have  received  the  Spirit,  then  baptize  them 
with  water.  How  easily  is  this  question  decided,  if  we 
will  take  the  Word  of  God  for  our  rule!  Either  men  have 
received  the  Holy  Ghost  or  not.  If  they  have  not.  Repent, 
saith  God,  and  be  baptized,  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  If  they  have,  if  they  are  already  bap- 
tized with  the  Holy  Ghost,  then  who  can  forbid  water?" 
While  Wesley  confused  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
with  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  saw  clearly  the  prin- 
ciple here  of  obedience. 

Caesarea,  situated  on  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  northwest 
of  Jerusalem,  and  about  thirty  miles  north  of  Joppa,  was 
rebuilt    by    Herod    the    Great.      Its    former    name    was 


*Acts  10 :  48. 


336  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Strabo's  Tower.  With  its  artificial  harbor,  formed  by  a 
breakwater,  Josephus  compared  it  to  the  famous  port  of 
Pir^ns.  It  was  named  in  honor  of  the  Roman  Caesar,  and 
was  sometimes  called  Csesarea  Palestina  in  distinction  from 
Csesarea  Philippi,  that  was  situated  at  the  base  of  Mount 
Hermon.  It  was  the  capital  of  Judaea  under  the  procura- 
tors ;  it  was  famous  as  the  place  where  Peter  preached  to 
Cornelius,  where  Herod  Agrippa  was  fatally  stricken,-"^ 
where  Paul  was  in  prison  for  two  years, ^*  where  the  last 
years  of  Origen  were  spent,  and  where  Eusebius  lived. 
The  city  is  now  in  ruins. 

The  housetop  was  a  resort  for  various  purposes  in  the 
Old  Testament  records, ^^  and  Peter's  retirement  there  was 
nothing  unusual.  The  sixth  hour  was  twelve  o'clock  and 
the  ninth  hour  was  three  o'clock.  Not  a  sheet,  but  some- 
thing like  a  sheet,  was  let  down.  The  clean  and  unclean 
animals  are  mentioned  as  far  back  as  the  flood, ■'^''  and  they 
are  mentioned  at  length  in  the  Mosaic  Law.'"'  The  ancient 
laws  among  the  Gentiles  were  similar,  except  they  applied 
only  to  the  priests.  The  distinction  between  the  clean  and 
the  unclean  was  henceforth  abolished,  and  by  the  death  of 
Christ  the  sin  of  the  world  had  been  taken  away.'^-  It  was 
a  prophecy  in  symbol,  and  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
on  the  next  day  clearly  affirmed  that  God  had  indeed 
cleansed  mankind,  and  henceforth  **he  that  will,  let  him 
take  the  water  of  life  freely." 

The  Disciples  First  Called  Christians  (ii  :26). — 
The  followers  of  John  the  Baptist  were  called  "disciples," 
meaning  learners,  and  the  term  easily  fell  to  the  followers 

^'Acts  12 :  19-23. 
^*Acts  24 :  27. 

^"i  Sam.  9:25;  2  Sam.  16:22;   11:22;  Jud.  16:27;  l^sa.  22:1; 
2  Kgs.  23 :  12 ;  Zeph.  1:5;  Neh.  8 :  16. 
'!Gen.  7:2.  3sjqJ^j^  j.^p 

Lev.  11-15. 


Acts  8:4  to  12:25.  337 

of  Jesus,  but  it  was  in  Old  Testament  use  as  far  back  as 
the  days  of  Isaiah  f^  Jesus  called  His  disciples  "friends,"-'*' 
but  centuries  before  Abraham  had  been  called  "the  friend 
of  God,"'*^  and  it  was  used  among  the  heathen  in  the  days 
of  Abraham;"*-  after  the  expression  of  great  liberality  in 
the  Jerusalem  Church  the  disciples  were  called  "be- 
lievers ;"^^  Ananias  of  Damascus  first  called  them  "saints,'' 
meaning  holy  ones,  those  separated  from  the  world  and 
set  apart  to  serve;''*  after  receiving  Saul  of  Tarsus  into 
the  Jerusalem  Church  they  were  called  "brethren,"'*''  which 
w^as  an  Old  Testament  term  that  was  used  among  the  sons 
of  Noah;*^  Paul,  in  writing  to  the  Church  at  Ephesus, 
called  them  "the  faithful  ;"''^  in  Antioch  they  were  first 
called  "Christians." 

Among  the  Jews  they  were  called  "the  sect  of  the  Naza- 
renes."  Later  Julian  forbade  the  use  of  the  term  Chris- 
tian, and  called  them  "Galilseans,"  but  the  term  Christian, 
although  possibly  first  used  in  opprobrium  from  the  lips 
of  the  heathen  Antiochians,  who  were  noted  for  their 
scurrilous  wit  and  inventive  nicknames,  became  the  name 
for  all  the  disciples  of  Christ,  and  was  divinely  sanctioned, 
if  not  divinely  called  so  at  first.  Agrippa  used  it  in  a 
serious  address  to  Paul  ','^^  Peter  used  it  in  his  first  Epistle,*^ 
and  it  is  our  rightful  name  without  prefix  or  suffix — Chris- 
tians only. 

It  is  not  a  mere  name,  but  it  is  a  life — "It  is  no  longer 
I  that  live,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me."^^  It  means  a  personal 
recognition  of  the  teachership  of  Jesus  in  our  lives — "one 
is  your  teacher  ;"'^^  it  means  the  personal  recognition  of  the 
ownership  of  Christ — "ye  are  not  your  own,  for  ye  were 


"Isa.  8 :  16.  ^Acts  5  :  14.  ""Gen.  9 :  22.  ^"i  Pet.  4 :  16. 

"John  15  :  14,  15.     "^^cts  9  :  I3-  *'Eph.  i :  i.  ''Gal.  2  :  20. 

^as.  2 :  23.  "'Acts  9 :  30.  "Acts  26 :  2^.  ''Mt.  23 :  8. 
^Gen.  26 :  26. 


338  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

bought  with  a  price  ;"^-  it  means  the  personal  recognition 
of  companionship  with  Christ— *'ye  died  and  your  Hfe  is 
hid  with  Christ  in  God.''^" 

The  Martyrdom  of  James  (12:  2). — The  only  obitu- 
ary notice  of  the  death  of  the  first  apostle,  44  A.  D.,  is 
recorded  in  a  single  sentence.  James  was  the  brother 
of  John ;  his  parents  were  Zebedee  and  Salome :  he  was  a 
fisherman  by  trade;  he  was  doubtless  a  first  cousin  of 
Jesus  and  belonged  to  that  inner  circle  of  men  who  stood 
closest  to  Jesus — Peter,  James  and  John.  They  were 
alone  with  Him  at  the  raising  of  the  daughter  of  Jairus, 
at  the  transfiguration  and  amid  the  agony  in  the  garden. 
His  name  is  not  mentioned  in  the  fourth  Gospel,  but  Mark 
tells  us  that  Jesus  surnamed  the  two  brothers  Boan- 
erges,-"'"*  meaning  "sons  of  thunder,"  referring  to  their 
vehement  manner.  Perhaps  it  was  this  natural  boldness 
that  made  the  Jews  determined  to  kill  him.  He  had  long 
before  asked  Jesus  for  the  first  position  of  honor  in  His 
Kingdom,  and  it  was  now  granted,  but  not  the  kind  of 
honor  he  was  then  looking  for.  He  was  the  first  of  the 
apostolic  group  to  pay  for  his  love  by  his  death.  Behead- 
ing was  almost  as  disgraceful  a  mode  of  punishment  as 
crucifixion. 

The  Death  of  Herod  (12:20-23). — Herod  was  the 
son  of  Aristobulus  and  grandson  of  Herod  the  Great. 
Herodias,  who  caused  the  beheading  of  John  the  Baptist, 
was  his  sister,  and  he  was  commonly  called  Herod 
Agrippa.  On  the  death  of  Herod  the  Great  his  vast  do- 
minion was  divided,  and  later  one  of  his  sons,  Archelaus, 
was  removed  from  the  rule  over  Judaea  and  Samaria,^'' 
and  that  territory  became  a  Roman  province,  over  which 
eight  procurators  succeeded  each  other,  Pilate  being  the 

^'i  Cor.  6 :  19,  20.     ^Col.  3  :  3-     ''Mk.  3  :  17-     ""6  A.  D. 


Acts  8:4  to  12:25.  .339 

sixth ;  but  Agrippa  sought  to  have  restored  the  Herodian 
dominion,  and,  under  the  imperial  patronage  of  Claudius 
Csesar,  he  succeeded  in  extending  his  rule  even  beyond 
the  limits  of  his  grandfather's  great  dominion,  and  during 
his  seven  years'  reign  he  was  recognized  as  one  of  the 
greatest  princes  of  the  East.  Throughout  that  time  he 
showed  himself  to  be  a  bitter  enemy  of  Christianity. 

On  the  occasion  of  a  festival  at  Caesarea  in  honor  of 
Claudius  Caesar,  when  Herod  was  arrayed  in  a  royal  robe 
woven  wholly  of  silver,  dazzling  the  vision  of  the  si>ecta- 
tors  under  the  rays  of  the  sun,  he  fell  into  violent  and  fatal 
pains.  According  to  Josephus,  he  lingered  five  days,  and 
looking  upon  his  friends  he  said,  *T,  whom  you  call  a  god, 
am  commanded  presently  to  depart  this  life,  while  Provi- 
dence thus  reproves  the  lying  words  you  just  now  said  to 
me ;  and  I,  who  was  by  you  called  immortal,  am  immedi- 
ately hurried  away  by  death."  Because  of  the  mention 
that  he  was  eaten  of  worms,  it  has  been  suggested  that  his 
disease  was  trichinosis,  which  is  an  army  of  almost  invis- 
ible flesh  worms,  caused  by  eating  uncooked  meats,  pene- 
trating the  intestines  and  muscles  of  the  body,  resulting 
usually  in  a  very  painful  death.  Whatever  it  may  have 
been,  it  was  God's  stroke  of  warning  to  a  wicked  world. 


I  thank  Thee  for  this  vision  of  the  workshop  of  the 
beginning  of  Thy  Church  on  earth — preaching  of  the 
Word,  conquest  of  souls,  rebuking  of  sin,  suflFering  of  the 
saints,  visions  of  angels,  incense  of  prayers,  curing  the 
sick,  smiting  the  wicked,  raising  the  dead,  the  equality  of 
man  through  the  redemption  of  Jesus,  the  martyrdom  of 
one  apostle  and  the  miraculous  deliverance  of  another. 
Thou  Holder  of  souls,  give  me  strength  to  stand  at  my 
post  in  Thy  workshop  of  these  latter  days — strength  not 
to  run  awav  from  burdens  and  hardships,  but  to  stand  up 


340  Aaiong  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

under  them  and  to  rejoice  in  the  privilege  of  Thy  letting 
me  stand.  Quicken  my  hearing  in  order  that  I  may  obey 
Thy  call  above  all  human  babble,  and  clothe  me  with  the 
garments  of  Christian  holiness,  so  that  I  may  walk  up- 
rightly and  have  Thy  unseen  companionship  here  and  Thy 
visible  presence  throughout  eternity.    Amen. 


Questions. 


I.  Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter.  2.  What  of  the  title  and  limit  of  the 
second  division?  3.  Name  the  chapters  of  the  second  division. 
4.  What  of  the  Church  in  Jerusalem?  5.  What  of  Philip  in  Sa- 
maria? 6.  Explain  how  Philip's  work  conformed  to  Christ's  com- 
mission. 7.  Explain  the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  apostle. 
8.  What  of  Simon  the  sorcerer?  9.  Give  an  account  of  Philip 
and  the  eunuch?  10.  Explain  the  twofold  significance  of  Paul's 
conversion.  11.  What  of  Damascus  and  Paul's  authority  to  go 
there?  12.  What  of  persecution  of  Christ?  13.  What  of  Paul's 
perplexity?  14.  What  of  Paul's  first  experience  in  the  ministry? 
15.  What  of  ^neas  and  Tabitha  (9:  32-43)  ?  16.  What  the  char- 
acter of  Cornelius?  17.  Give  a  full  account  of  his  conversion. 
18.  Explain  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  Gentiles.  19. 
Give  an  account  of  Peter's  defense  to  the  Jerusalem  brethren 
(11:1-18).  20.  What  of  the  result  following  the  martyrdom  of 
Stephen  (11 :  19-26)  ?  21.  What  of  the  name  Christian?  22.  What 
of  Agabus  (11:27-30)?  23.  What  of  the  martyrdom  of  James? 
24.  Of  Peter's  deliverance  ?  25.  Of  the  death  of  Herod  ?  26.  What 
is  your  prayer  in  this  study  ? 


ACTS. 

III.    The  Planting  of  the  Church  Among  the  Pa- 
gans.—13  :  1-21 :  16. 


"When  they  had  fasted  and  prayed  and  laid  their  hands  on  them, 
they  sent  them  away."— Lw^^  (Acts  13:3)- 

"Be  it  known  unto  you  therefore,  brethren,  that  through  this 
man  is  proclaimed  unto  you  remission  of  sins." — Paul  in  his  Dis- 
course at  Antioch  of  Pisidia  (13  :  38). 


"It  was  necessary  that  the  Word  of  God  should  first  be  spoken 
to  you.  Seeing  ye  thrust  it  from  you,  and  judge  yourselves  un- 
worthy of  eternal  life,  lo,  we  turn  to  the  Gentiles." — Paul  and 
Barnabas  to  the  Jews  in  Antioch  of  Pisidia  (13:46). 


"The  times  of  ignorance  therefore  God  overlooked ;  but  now  he 
commandeth  men  that  they  should  all  everywhere  repent." — Paul 
in  his  Discourse  at  Athens  (17:  30)- 


"So  mightily  grew  the  Word  of  the  Lord  and  prevailed." — Luke 
(Acts  19:  20). 


"The  Holy  Spirit  testifieth  unto  me  in  every  city,  saying  that 
bonds  and  afflictions  abide  me." — Paul  to  the  Elders  at  Ephesus 
(20:23). 


"In  all  things  I  gave  you  an  example,  that  so  laboring  ye  ought 
to  help  the  weak,  and  to  remember  the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
that  He  Himself  said,  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive." — 
Paul  to  the  Elders  at  Ephesus  (20:  35). 


ACTS. 

III.     The  Planting  of  the  Church  Among  the  Pa- 
gans.— 13:  1-2 1 :  16. 

As  the  preceding  division  was  the  fulfihnent  of  the 
command  to  witness  for  Jesus  in  Judaea  and  Samaria,  this 
division  is  the  fulfihnent  of  the  command,  "making  dis- 
ciples of  all  the  nations,"  and  Paul  becomes  the  center  of 
the  most  remarkable  missionary  activities  in  the  history  of 
the  world.  He  becomes  a  general  mightier  than  any  that 
ever  led  a  military  campaign.  Alexander,  Caesar  and  Na- 
poleon were  pygmies  beside  him.  Paul  remains  without 
a  peer  in  the  wide  field  of  Christian  manhood. 

The  Church  in  Antioch  (13:  1-3). — Five  cities  in  a 
radius  of  two  hundred  miles  were  called  Antioch.  havini>- 


Markings. — Undermark,  13:2,  38,  46;  14:  i;  15:9,  20,  40;  16: 
5;  17:26;  18:23;  19:20;  20:7,  23;  21:14,  and  also  undermark 
the  words  ''Antioch"  in  13:1;  "Seleucia"  and  "Cyprus"  in  13:4; 
"Salamis"  and  "John"  in  13 :  5 ;  "Paphos"  and  "Bar-Jesus"  in  13 : 
6;  "Paul"  in  13:9;  "Perga"  in  13:13;  "Antioch  of  Pisidia"  in 
13:14;  "Paul"  in  13:16;  "our  fathers"  in  13:17;  "Samuel"  in 
13  :  20;  "Saul"  in  13  :  21 ;  "David"  in  13  :  22 ;  "Jesus"  in  13  :  23  ; 
"persecution"  in  13:50;  "Iconium"'  in  13:51;  "stone  them"  in  14: 
5;  "Lystra"  and  "Derbe"  in  14:6;  "a  cripple"  in  14:8;  "stoned 
Paul"  in  14:  19;  "many  disciples"  in  14:21;  "Antioch"  in  14:26; 
"circumcised"  in  15:  i;  "Peter"  in  15:7;  "Barnabas"  and  "Paul" 
in  15:12;  "James"  in  15:13;  "Judas"  and  "Silas"  in  15:22; 
"Mark"  in  15:37;  "Syria"  and  Cilicia"  in  15:41;  "Derbe."  "Lys- 
tra" and  "Timothy"  in  16:1;  "Phrygia"  and  "Galatia"  in  16:6; 
"Troas"  in  16 :  8 ;  "Come  over  into  Macedonia  and  help  us"  in 
16:9;  "Philippi"  in  16:12;  "Lydia"  in  16:14;  "a  certain  maid" 
in  16:16;  "many  stripes"  in  16:23;  "magistrates"  in  16:35; 
"Thessalonica"  in  17:1;  "Jason"  in  17:5;  "Beroea"  in  17:10; 
"examining  the  Scriptures  daily"  in  17:11;  "Athens"  in  17:16; 
"To  AN  UNKNOWN  god"  in  17:23;  "Corinth"  in   18:  i;  "Aquila" 


344  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

been  built  in  the  third  century  before  Christ  by  Seleucus 
Nikator  and  named  after  his  great-grandfather,  Antio- 
chus,  who  was  made  king  of  Syria  on  the  death  of  Alex- 
ander the  Great,  but  Antioch  on  the  Orontes  became  the 
sole  bearer  of  this  name  in  Syria.  It  was  built  on  the 
island,  in  the  valley  and  up  the  slope  of  Mount  Silpius, 
being  two  miles  wide  and  five  miles  long,  and  surrounded 
by  a  wall  fifty  feet  high  and  fifteen  feet  broad.  Its  four 
wards  were  divided  by  broad  and  beautifully  ornamented 
streets  with  columns  and  statuary.  Especially  beautiful 
was  the  main  street  which  was  built  by  Herod  the  Great, 
which  was  five  miles  in  length,  paved  with  white  marble 
and  adorned  with  trees,  statues  and  a  double  colonnade. 
Half  a  million  people  lived  within  its  boundaries,  among 

and  "Priscilla"  in  18:2;  "from  henceforth  I  will  go  unto 
the  Gentiles"  in  18:6;  "Crispus"  in  18:8;  "Gallic"  in  18:12; 
"Ephesus"  in  18 :  19 ;  "Csesarea"  and  "Antioch"  in  18 :  22 ;  "Apol- 
los"  in  18:24;  "Ephesus"  in  19:1;  ".Sceva"  in  19:14;  "Diana" 
in  19:24;  "town  clerk"  in  19: 35 1  "Macedonia"  in  20:1,  3; 
"Greece"  in  20:2;  "Troas"  in  20:5;  "Eutychus"  in  20:9;  "Mile- 
tus" and  "Ephesus"  in  20:17;  "Tyre"  in  21:3;  "Ptolemais"  in 
21 :  7;  "Csesarea"  and  "Philip"  in  21 :  8;  "Agabus"  in  21 :  10;  "Jeru- 
salem" in  21 :  15. 

Mark,  13:4,  13,  16,  42,  48;  14:2,  12,  22;  15:2,  28,  29;  16:15, 
32-34;  17:4,  12,  28,  32;  18:8,  28;  19:2,  5,  6,  19;  20:21,  28,  35;  21: 

9,  13- 

Personal  mark,  16:30,  31;  17:30. 
Mark  with  the  cross,  13  :  29 ;  17  :  3. 
Mark  with   P,  meaning  prayer.   13:3;    14 :  23  ;    16 :  25  ;   20  :  36 ; 

21:5- 

The  names  of  the  chapters  of  the  third  division:  13 — Paul  and 
Barnabas  on  their  First  Missionary  Tour  as  Far  as  Antioch  in 
Pisidia  and  Iconium;  14 — In  Lystra  and  Derbe  and  Returning 
from  their  First  Missionary  Tour  to  Antioch  in  Syria;  15 — The 
Jerusalem  Council  and  Paul  Starts  with  Silas  on  His  Second 
Missionary  Tour ;  16 — Paul  and  Silas  with  Timothy  in  Asia  Minor 
and  Philippi;  17 — Paul,  Silas  and  Timothy  in  Thessalonica,  in 
Bercea  and  Athens;  18 — In  Corinth  and  Ephesus  and  Return  to 
Antioch  in  Syria,  and  Start  on  Their  Third  Missionary  Tour 
Through  Asia  Minor ;  19 — In  Ephesus ;  20— In  Greece,  Troas  and 
Ephesus ;  21 — Paul  Returned  to  Jerusalem  via  Tyre  and  Caesarea, 
when  he  is  Arrested. 


Acts  13:  i  to  21 :  16. 


345 


them  were  many  Jews,  to  whom  Seleucus  Nikator  had 
given  the  right  of  citizenship.  It  was  the  third  city  of  the 
empire,  Rome  and  Alexander  being  larger,  and  at  this 
time  it  was  the  capital  of  the  Roman  province  of  Syria 
and  it  was  called  "the  gate  of  the  East."  Near  it  was 
Daphne,  the  sacred  grove  of  Apollo,  where  was  a  magnifi- 
cent temple  surrounded  by  a  grove  of  cypresses  ten  miles 
in  circumference,  and  where  beauty  and  vice  freely  min- 
gled. It  was  a  city  of  culture,  wealth  and  wickedness. 
Every  kind  of  dissipation  flourished — daily  races,  dances, 
debaucheries  and  all  kinds  of  superstitions. 

Antioch  is  first  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures  on  the 
choice  of  the  seven  deacons,  when  ''Nicolaus,  a  proselyte 
of  Antioch,"  was  named  as  one  of  the  seven. ^  On  the 
scattering  of  the  Jerusalem  disciples  that  followed  the 
martyrdom  of  Stephen,  some  went  as  far  north  as  Antioch, 
and  "a  great  number  that  believed  turned  unto  the  Lord."- 
This  marked  the  beginning  of  the  Church  in  Antioch. 
Later  the  Church  in  Jerusalem  sent  Barnabas  there,  and 
*'much  people  were  added  unto  the  Lord;"^  then  he 
fetched  Paul  from  Tarsus,  and  the  two  ministered  there 
for  a  year.*  There  the  disciples  were  first  called  Chris- 
tians. In  the  time  of  the  Jerusalem  famine  the  Church 
in  Antioch  sent  contributions  to  them  by  the  hands  of 
Paul  and  Barnabas,^  and  on  their  return  they  were  sent 
forth  on  their  first  missionary  tour.^ 

They  returned  there,"^  and  Paul  and  Barnabas  were  sent 
as  special  messengers  from  the  Church  in  Antioch  to  the 
Jerusalem  council,  asking  that  they  be  freed  from  the 
Old  Testament  Law.^  From  Antioch  Paul  and  Barnabas 
went  out  upon  their  second  missionary  tour,   Barnabas 

\A.cts6:5.  ■'Acts  11: 26.  'Acts  14:26. 

-Acts  II :  20,  21.      ^Acts  II :  29,  30.      *Acts  15  :  i,  2,  22-29. 

'Acts  II  .-24.  ""Acts  13:3. 


346  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

taking  Mark  and  going  to  Cyprus  and  Paul  taking  Silas 
and  going  through  Syria.»  On  returning  there,  Paul 
started  out  on  his  third  tour,  and  he  never  returned  again 
to  Antioch.  Peter  visited  there  while  Paul  was  one  of 
the  ministers  of  the  Church/*'  Antioch  was  the  first  Gen- 
tile Church,  and  the  center  of  Christian  activity  was 
shifted  from  Jerusalem  to  the  Syrian  capital.  It  is  now 
called  Antaki,  and  about  6000  people  live  amid  its  mag- 
nificent ruins. 

Barnabas  (13: 2).  —  There  were  five  prophets  and 
teachers  in  the  Church  at  Antioch — Barnabas,  who  was 
among  the  leaders ;  Symeon,  who  was  also  called  Niger, 
referring  doubtless  to  his  dark  complexion ;  Lucius,  who 
was  perhaps  among  those  disciples  that  were  scattered 
from  Jerusalem  on  the  martydrom  of  Stephen ;  Manaen, 
who  had  been  brought  up  with  Herod  Antipas,  his  mother 
having  nursed  both  when  infants,  and  Saul,  who  was  the 
same  as  Paul,  and  at  this  time  he  appears  to  be  the  least 
prominent  of  the  five. 

Barnabas,  meaning  "son  of  exhortation,"  was  the  name 
given  to  Joseph,  a  Levite  of  Cyprus.^^  Eusebius  identi- 
fied him  as  one  of  the  seventy.  He  was  a  liberal  giver  ;^- 
he  was  the  first  of  the  Jerusalem  disciples  who  had  confi- 
dence in  Paul  ;^^  he  fetched  Paul  from  Tarsus  to  Antioch, 
and  there  the  two  labored  together  for  a  year;^*  he  ac- 
companied Paul  to  Jerusalem  with  a  contribution  from 
the  Church  in  Antioch  for  the  famine  sufferers  in  Jeru- 
salem ;^^  he  went  with  Paul  on  his  first  missionary  tour  ;^^ 
on  that  tour  he  and  Paul  were  called  ''apostles,"  which 
was  a  broader  use  of  the  word,  the  original  apostles  being 
called  ''the  twelve;"  by  the  heathen  in  Lystra,  and  per- 

•Acts  15  :  39,  40.         "Acts  4:  36,  2>7-         "Acts  11 :  29,  30. 
^"Gal.  2:11.  '^Acts  9 :  27.  '"Acts  13  :  2. 

"Acts  4:36.  "Acts  11:26. 


Acts  13:  i  to  21 :  16. 


347 


haps  on  account  of  his  appearance,  he  was  identified  with 
Jupiter  and  Paul  with  Mercury  ;^^  he  accompanied  Paul 
and  others  to  Jerusalem  as  a  special  messenger  concern- 
ing the  Gentiles'  keeping  the  Old  Testament  Law  ;^^  like 
Paul,  he  made  his  living  wdth  his  hands  ;^^  because  of 
Paul's  unwillingness  to  have  Mark,  a  cousin  of  Barnabas,-" 
to  accompany  them  on  another  tour,  he  separated  from 
Paul,  and  with  Mark  he  went  on  his  second  missionary 
tour,^^  and  his  name  is  not  mentioned  again  in  the  Acts. 
Tertullian  attributed  the  Epistle  of  the  Hebrews  to  his 
authorship. 

Paul's  First  Missionary  Tour  (13:4-14:28). — Paul 
and  Barnabas  were  sent  by  the  Holy  Spirit  on  their  first 
missionary  tour,  which  extended  from  Antioch,  through 
the  island  of  Cyprus  and  into  Asia  Minor,  returning  over 
the  same  route,  except  not  going  through  Cyprus,  to  Anti- 
och, covering  perhaps  a  year,  47,  48  A.  D.  Seleucia,  six- 
teen miles  from  Antioch  and  its  seaport,  was  one  of  the 
most  famous  maritime  fortresses  of  Asia;  from  its  har- 
bor ships  sailed  to  all  parts  of  the  Roman  world. 

Cyprus  is  an  island  one  hundred  and  forty-five  miles 
long  and  from  ten  to  sixty  miles  wide,  lying  in  sight  of 
the  mainland,  and  it  was  rich  in  mines  and  forests,  es- 
pecially pine  and  cypress.  Its  history  reached  back  to 
1503  B.  C,  when  it  was  tributary  to  Egypt.  Christianity 
was  first  introduced  there  by  the  disciples,  who  were  scat- 
tered from  Jerusalem  after  the  martyrdom  of  Stephen. -- 
Barnabas  was  from  this  island,  and  also  Mnason,  who  was 
one  of  the  first  disciples.-^ 

Salamis  was  the  largest  town  on  the  island  and  later 
was  its  capital.    Paphos,  situated  at  the  other  end  of  the 

"Acts  14:  12.       "i  Cor.  9:  6.        ''Acts  15  :  39-       ''Acts  21 :  16. 
'Acts  15:2.        -"Col.  4:  10.         'Acts  ir:  19. 


348  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

island,  was  its  capital  at  that  time,  and  was  the  residence 
of  Sergius  Paulus,  the  proconsul  of  Cyprus.  It  was  in- 
famous on  account  of  its  degrading  forms  of  worship  to 
Venus.  Henceforth  Paul,  meaning  'little,"  was  no  longer 
called  Saul,  meaning  ''asked  for,"  and  he  becomes  the  cen- 
ter of  the  remaining  chapters  of  Acts.  Elymas,  the  sor- 
cerer there,  was  smitten  with  blindness.  The  two  cities 
were  connected  by  two  roads  covering  three  or  four  days' 
journey.  Perga,  which  was  some  distance  from  the  coast 
on  a  small  river  of  the  mainland,  was  the  capital  of  Pam- 
phylia.  For  some  reason  they  do  not  appear  to  have  re- 
mained there,  and  John  Mark,  perhaps  because  the  coun- 
try abounded  in  robbers,  left  them  and  returned  to  Jeru- 
salem. Antioch  of  Pisidia,  sometimes  called  Pisidian 
Antioch,  was  one  of  the  sixteen  Antiochs  founded  by 
Seleucus  Nikator  -*  and  named  after  his  grandfather  Anti- 
ochus.  Women  were  held  in  high  esteem  there  and  often 
held  public  office  in  that  city,  as  was  somewhat  character- 
istic of  all  Asia  Minor.  Paul  preached  in  the  synagogue 
there  two  Sabbaths,  and  because  of  the  Jewish  hostility  he 
announced  that  seeing  that  they  judge  themselves  un- 
worthy of  eternal  life,  "lo,  we  turn  to  the  Gentiles,"-^  and 
they  were  driven  out  of  the  city.  Iconium,  which  is  now 
called  Konia  and  is  the  terminus  of  a  railroad  from  Bos- 
phorus,  is  surrounded  by  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
fertile  countries  in  the  world.  At  the  beginning  of  their 
ministry  in  that  city  many  believed,  but  later  persecution 
arose  and  they  were  compelled  to  flee. 

Lycaonia  was  a  district  of  the  Lycaones,  then  Roman 
territory,  and  later  it  was  a  Roman  province.  It  had  two 
large  cities.  Lystra,  which  was  rebuilt  by  Augustus  in 
6  B.  C.  as  a  Roman  colony,  was  where,  after  curing  the 

'*30i-28o  B.  C.      ''Acts  13  :  46. 


Acts  13:  i  to  21  :  16.  34,^ 

cripple,  occurred  the  attempted  celebration  of  the  epiphany 
of  the  gods,  Barnabas  being  called  Jupiter  and  Paul  Mer- 
cury, followed  by  the  stoning  of  Paul,  whom  they  thought 
they  had  killed.  It  is  now  in  ruins.  Dcrhe,  whose  origin 
and  ending  are  unknown,  appears  not  to  have  ill-treated 
Paul,  and  many  disciples  were  made  there. 

Attalia,  which  was  founded  in  the  second  century  before 
Christ,  is  the  seaport  of  Pamphylia,  and  still  retains  its 
importance  under  the  name  of  Adelia.  In  all  these  cities 
were  heathen  temples,  and  in  most  of  them  were  Jewish 
synagogues,  and  from  this  first  missionary  tour  many 
were  added  to  the  Lord.  These  last  named  cities  belonged 
to  the  great  province  of  Galatia. 

The  Sabbath  (13-44). — God  desisted  from  the  activ- 
ity of  creating  on  the  seventh  day  and  He  hallowed  it,-^ 
and  commanded  that  it  should  be  a  day  of  cessation  from 
work  for  all  mankind;  hence  the  name  Sabbath,  mean- 
ing *'rest  from  labor,"  which  is  a  hygienic  necessity  for 
the  human  race.  The  term  Sabbath  does  not  appear  to 
have  occurred  in  the  Scriptures  until  the  time  of  Moses, 
when,  after  the  passage  of  the  Red  Sea,  he  spoke  of  the 
seventh  day  as  "a  holy  Sabbath."-^  In  the  giving  of  the 
ten  commandments  it  is  named  as  the  fourth — "Remember 
the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy"^^ — and  when  the  zvord 
Sabbath  is  used  in  the  Scriptures  it  ahvays  refers  to  the 
seventh  day. 

On  the  establishing  of  Christianity  the  Sabbath  was  fre- 
quently mentioned,  because  on  that  day  the  Jews  met  in 
their  synagogues,  and  it  furnished  an  audience  for  Paul 
and  others  to  proclaim  the  Gospel.  Jesus  buried  the  Sab- 
bath v/ith  Himself— the  only  full  day  that  He  was  in  the 
tomb  was  the  Sabbath;  He  raised  the  Gospel  with  Him- 


"Gen.  2  :  1-3.      ^Ex.  16 :  23.      "''Ex.  20 :  8. 


350 


Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 


self  and  hallowed  a  new  day  in  our  calendar,  the  first  day 
of  the  week,  called  "the  Lord's  Day."^«  On  that  day  He 
arose  from  the  dead ;  on  that  day  He  appeared  to  His  dis- 
ciples, and  on  the  next  first  day  of  the  week  He  appeared 
again,  and  the  disciples  met  together  on  the  first  day  of 
the  week  to  keep  His  death  and  resurrection^^  and  for 
public  worship.^^ 

Hessey  and  others  have  made  it  clear  that  during  the 
first  three  Christian  centuries  the  term  Sabbath  was  never 
confounded  with  the  Lord's  Day.  They  are  two  distinct 
institutions,  and  to  speak  of  the  first  day  of  the  week  as 
the  Sabbath,  which  began  to  be  so  used  in  the  fourth  cen- 
tury, is  not  only  a  confusion  of  terms,  but  is  a  grave 
error  in  Scriptural  usage.  "The  next  Sabbath"  of  13:  44. 
as  of  all  other  like  passages  of  Scripture,  was  the  seventh 
day  of  the  week. 

Confirming  the  Souls  (14:  22). — To  the  three  cities 
where  Paul  had  been  treated  most  badly,  and  doubtless 
where  the  disciples  were  undergoing  persecution — Lystra, 
Iconium  and  Antioch  in  Pisidia — he  returned  and  con- 
firmed the  disciples  in  their  faith  by  bringing  to  them  ad- 
ditional proof  of  the  evidences  of  Christianity  and  exhort- 
ing them  to  continue  in  their  fidelity.  He  went  through- 
out Syria  and  Cilicia  doing  the  same  thing — "confirming 
the  Churches,"^-  and  likewise  did  Judas  and  Silas  to  the 
Church  in  Antioch,  Syria. -^^  Neither  from  the  etymology 
of  the  word  nor  from  its  use  in  these  passages  of  Scrip- 
ture, is  there  the  least  idea  of  a  religious  ceremony,  but 
the  ceremony  of  modern  confirmation  is  absolutely  post- 
apostolic,  having  arisen  many  years  after  the  days  of  the 
apostles. 


-^Rev.  1 :  10.  ''i  Cor.  16 :  2.       ^'Acts  15 :  32. 

'"Acts  20 :  7.  '-'Acts  15  :  41. 


Acts  13:  i  to  21 :  16. 


351 


Elders  in  Every  Church  (14:  23). — There  were  eld- 
ers not  only  among  the  Israelites  in  their  earliest  history, 
but  they  were  likewise  named  among  the  Egyptians''^  and 
the  Moabites  and  the  Midianites."^  It  was  first  a  position 
of  age,  but  later  it  became  a  term  of  dignity,  indicating 
leadership  in  time  of  war  and  dispensing  of  justice  in 
time  of  peace,  somewhat  like  the  chief  of  a  tribe.  From 
this  class  Moses  chose  the  seventy  elders,^*'  and  in  the  Xew 
Testament  period  they  are  named  with  the  chief  priests 
and  scribes,  always  coming  third  in  the  list.-'' 

In  the  organizing  of  the  Churches  this  term,  or  its  Greek 
equivalent,  ''bishop."  naturally  fell  to  those  who  were  en- 
trusted with  the  teaching  and  the  general  administration  of 
the  religious  affairs. ^^  They  are  named  next  to  the 
apostles,^^  and  their  ordination  was  similar  to  that  of  the 
first  seven  deacons.*"  There  were  a  plurality  of  elders  or 
bishops  in  every  Church  or  city,  for  all  the  believers  in  a 
city  in  those  days  were  counted  as  one  Church,  as  the 
Church  in  Jerusalem,  the  Church  in  Antioch  and  the 
Church  of  the  Thessalonians,"*^  so  there  may  have  been  one 
or  several  elders  for  each  station  in  the  city  and  a  plurality 
of  elders  for  the  whole  Church  in  that  city. 

The  Great  Controversy  in  Antioch  and  Jerusalj^.m 
(15  :  1-35). — The  receiving  of  Gentiles  into  the  fellowship 
of  the  Church  had  been  settled  by  the  wonderful  experi- 
ence that  Peter  had  with  the  household  of  Cornelius,^-'  but 
a  new  condition  arose  in  Antioch  by  the  going  of  certain 
men  of  Pharisee  influence  from  Judaea  to  Antioch  and 
teaching  the  new  converts  to  be  circumcised  and  keep  the 
Law  of  Moses  in  order  to  be  saved.'*^    It  was  a  momentous 


"Gen.  50:  7.  "'i  Tim.  3 :  i-7-  "Acts  11 :  18 

"Nu.  22 : 7.  ='^\cts  15:2.  "Acts  15:1. 

''Nu.  11:16.  ""Acts  6:6. 

=''Mk.  14:43.  "Phil.  1:1;  Tit.  1:5- 


352  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

question.  If  the  Jewish  party  prevailed,  the  young 
Church  would  be  imprisoned  in  the  limits  of  Judaism ;  if 
the  Christian  party  prevailed,  the  religion  of  Jesus  would 
become  universal. 

Paul  was  directed  by  revelation  to  meet  the  crisis  by 
advising  the  Church  to  send  special  messengers  to  the 
Church  in  Jerusalem  for  their  decision,"**  and  the  Church 
in  Antioch  sent  Paul,  Barnabas,  Titus  and  others.  James, 
the  half-brother  of  Jesus,  summed  up  the  discussion — 
recognizing  that  the  old  Law  had  been  abolished,  for  it  was 
"our  tutor  to  bring  us  unto  Christ,  that  we  might  be  justi- 
fied by  faith ;  but  now  that  faith  is  come,  we  are  no  longer 
under  a  tutor  ;"*^  therefore,  under  the  direction  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  they  advised  abstaining  from  idolatry,  fornication, 
eating  of  things  strangled  and  from  blood.  These  pro- 
hibitions antedated  the  Law  of  Moses,  and  were  for  the 
common  good  of  the  human  race.'*'^^ 

Circumcision  was  first  practiced  by  Abraham,  and  later 
by  the  Egyptians,  Ethiopians  and  other  African  nations. 
It  is  now  practiced  by  the  Jews  and  the  Moslems.  By  this 
decision  it  was  abolished  and  the  whole  Jewish  ritual  with 
it,  including  the  Jewish  Sabbath.  The  four  things  named 
were  necessary ;  the  others  were  unnecessary.  The  letter, 
which  was  addressed  to  the  Gentile  brethren  of  Antioch, 
Syria  and  Cilicia,  and  which  was  the  earliest  document 
written  by  the  apostles,  was  committed  to  the  care  of  the 
brethren  from  Antioch,  accompanied  by  Judas,  a  prophet, 
and  Silas,  who  afterwards  became  the  companion  of  Paul. 

Paul's  Second  Missionary  Tour  (15:40-18:22). — 
Taking  Silas,  Paul  was  commended  by  the  brethren  for 
his  second  tour,  which  extended  through  Asia  Minor  into 


*Gal.  2  :  2.      ^'Gal.  3  :  24,  25.     ^'Gen.  9  :  4. 


Acts  13:  i  to  21:  16.  353 

Europe  and  returning  to  Antioch,  covering  about  three 
years,  50-53  A.  D. 

Syria  and  Cilicia  were  both  Roman  provinces,  Antioch 
being  the  capital  of  the  first  and  Tarsus  of  the  second, 
which  was  the  home  of  Paul,  and  where  he  had  previously 
proclaimed  Jesus.'^'  Derhe  and  Lystra  were  cities  that 
he  had  visited  on  his  first  tour,  when  doubtless  Timothy, 
who  lived  at  Lystra,  became  a  disciple,  and  now  he  joined 
Paul  and  Silas,  completing  a  familiar  trio.  "The  Churches 
were  strengthened  in  the  faith  and  increased  in  number 
daily."^« 

Phrygia  and  Galatia  were  regions  in  the  center  of  Asia 
Minor,  with  varied  boundaries.  The  first  meant  the  land 
of  the  Phryges,  who  were  several  united  tribes  from 
Macedonia,  and  nine  hundred  years  before  Christ  they  were 
the  masters  of  the  sea.  Some  of  the  Jews  from  this  re- 
gion were  in  Jerusalem  at  the  first  Pentecost  and  heard  the 
apostles  speak  in  their  dialect,***  and  this  may  have  been 
the  founding  of  Christianity  in  Phrygia.  Later  persecu- 
tion under  Diocletian  was  the  most  severe  in  this  region 
of  all  in  Asia  Minor.  Galatia  had  its  origin  from  a 
colony  of  Gauls,  who  came  to  Asia  Minor  in  the  third  cen- 
tury, and  they  were  the  Frenchmen  of  that  part  of  the 
world.  Pisidian  Antioch,  Iconium,  Lystra  and  Derbe 
doubtless  belonged  in  this  region,  and  to  these  Paul's 
Epistle  to  the  Churches  of  Galatia  is  addressed. 

They  were  forbidden  by  the  Holy  Spirit  at  this  time  to 
preach  in  Asia,  which  was  the  southwestern  province,  or 
Mysia,  which  v/as  the  westernmost  province,  or  BitJiynia, 
which  was  the  northernmost  province  of  Asia  Minor. 

Troas  was  near  the  site  of  the  ancient  Troy,  and  may 
be  called  its  continuation.     It  was  a  large  city,  and  the 


'Acts  9 :  30.     ''Acts  16 :  5.      "'Acts 


354  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

chief  harbor  for  ships  to  and  from  Macedonia.  Because 
of  its  legendary  connection  with  the  founding  of  Rome. 
Julius  C^sar  once  planned  to  transfer  his  capital  from 
Rome  to  Troas,  and  later,  when  Constantine  removed  his 
throne  from  Rome  to  Byzantium,  now  Constantinople,  he 
first  considered  Troas,  doubtless  for  the  same  reason. 
Here  Paul  saw  the  vision  of  the  man  of  Macedonia,  pos- 
sibly Luke,  who  joined  the  famous  trio  here,  making  four, 
hence  the  use  of  the  personal  pronoun  "we."  The  in- 
vasion of  Europe  by  the  traditional  3,000,000  Asiatics  and 
others  under  Xerxes  did  not  have  half  the  importance  of 
the  entrance  of  these  four  unarmed  men  bearing  the  mes- 
sage of  Jesus  to  a  lost  continent.  Samolhrace  was  an 
island  in  the  yEgean  Sea,  and  a  small  town  on  it  bore  the 
same  name.  Its  mountains  reached  to  a  height  of  5240 
feet.  Here  Philip  of  Macedonia  was  initiated  into  the 
mysteries  of  the  god  Cabiri,  which  was  said  to  have  had 
its  first  worshippers  on  this  island. 

Ncapolis,  meaning  "new  city,"  is  the  same  as  Naples. 
It  was  the  seaport  of  Philippi,  which  lay  ten  miles  inland. 
Philippi  was  rebuilt  by  Philip  of  Macedonia  and  named  in 
his  honor  about  the  middle  of  the  fourth  century  before 
Christ.  In  42  B.  C.  Brutus  and  Cassius,  who  had  caused 
the  death  of  Csesar  in  hope  of  restoring  the  republic,  were 
defeated  in  the  famous  battle  under  its  walls  by  Antony 
and  Octavian,  afterwards  Augustus.  There  was  no  Jew- 
ish synagogue  in  the  city,  and  on  the  Sabbath  Paul  at- 
tended a  prayer-meeting  on  the  river  bank.  Lydia  was 
the  first  European  converted  to  Christianity.  Paul  cast 
a  demon  out  of  a  soothsaying  maid,  which  caused  the  ar- 
rest of  Paul  and  Silas,  followed  by  their  being  publicly 
beaten  with  rods  on  their  bare  backs  and  imprisoned  with 
their  feet  in  the  stocks.     The  jailer  and  his  household  be- 


Acts  13:  i  to  21 :  16.  355 

came  disciples.  The  name  of  the  city  still  lingers  about 
its  ruins.  To  the  Church  there  Paul  addressed  one  of  his 
Epistles.  Amphipolis  and  Apollonia  were  towns  of  Ma- 
cedonia. The  first  was  called  ''the  all-round  city"  because 
of  its  strategic  position  and  the  river  being  on  three  sides ; 
the  other  was  an  inland  town,  whose  site  is  unknown. 

Thessalonica  is  now  called  Saloniki,  and,  next  to  Con- 
stantinople, it  is  the  most  important  town  in  European 
Turkey.  It  was  the  metropolis  of  Macedonia,  at  that  time 
situated  on  the  inner  bay  of  a  winding  gulf.  It  was  re- 
built in  315  B.  C,  when  its  name  was  changed  from 
Therme  to  Thessalonica,  which  was  the  name  of  the  wife 
of  Cassander,  one  of  Alexander's  generals,  and  the  daugh- 
ter of  Philip  and  step-sister  of  Alexander  the  Great.  Ci- 
cero was  kindly  sheltered  there  during  seven  months  of 
his  exile.  Paul  was  there  over  three  weeks,  and  preached 
in  the  Jewish  synagogues  until,  hostility  arising  from  Jew- 
ish jealousy,  they  had  to  flee.  To  the  Church  there  Paul 
addressed  two  of  his  Epistles.  Bercca  was  an  old  town  of 
considerable  size,  and  is  now  called  Verria.  Paul 
preached  in  the  synagogue,  and  the  Jews  there  have  dis- 
tinguished themselves  throughout  all  ages  for  their  daily 
examining  of  the  Scriptures  to  see  if  what  Paul  said  was 
true.  Many  believed,  but  because  of  hostility  he  left,  leav- 
ing Silas  and  Timothy  there. 

Athens  goes  back  to  the  days  of  its  lengendary  founder, 
Cecrops,  and  his  Egyptian  colony  1550  B.  C,  and  it  was 
first  called  Cecropia,  and  later  it  was  called  Athens  from 
the  prominence  given  to  the  goddess  Athene,  which  is  the 
same  as  Minerva.  In  480  B.  C.  it  was  destroyed  by 
Xerxes,  but  it  arose  more  magnificently  than  before.  The 
Areopagus  was  a  high  hill,  sometimes  called  Mars'  Hill, 
because  of  the  legendary  story  of  the  god  Mars'  being  tried 


356  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

there  for  murdering  one  of  the  sons  of  Neptune,  and  it 
became  the  seat  of  the  highest  tribunal  of  ancient  Athens. 
The  members  of  this  court,  who  were  composed  of  ex- 
archons,  or  ex-chief  magistrates,  who  had  conducted  their 
office  blamelessly,  sat  in  the  open  air  on  benches  hewed 
out  of  rock.  Two  hundred  yards  away  was  the  Acropolis, 
literally  "highest  city"  or  highest  hill  in  the  city,  which  was 
adorned  with  a  beautiful  temple  to  Athene,  called  the 
Parthenon,  and  a  great  uncovered  statue  of  Athene  that 
could  be  seen  for  many  miles  at  sea.  Temples  and  statues 
so  crowded  this  hilltop  that  Aristides  called  it  "one  great 
offering  to  the  gods."  Phidias  had  transformed  its  marble 
quarries  into  forests  of  statues,  and  art  was  everywhere 
in  Athens. 

Josephus  said  that  its  citizens  were  the  most  pious  of  the 
Greeks,  and  Philo  said  that  they  were  the  brightest  intel- 
lects. Philosophy,  literature  and  art  flourished  there; 
statesmen,  poets  and  warriors  were  her  citizens.  It  was 
the  university  of  the  Roman  empire  and  the  intellectual 
capital  of  the  world.  The  Piraeus  was  its  landing,  and  on 
the  road  three  miles  inland  to  the  city  were  a  number  of 
altars  to  the  unknown  gods.  It  was  said  that  it  was  easier 
to  find  gods  than  men  in  Athens. 

The  Epicureans  and  Stoics  were  the  two  leading  sects 
of  Athens.  The  first  was  founded  by  Epicurus  in  the 
fourth  century  before  Christ,  and  they  taught  that  pleasure 
is  the  chief  purpose  of  life.  Said  Epicurus,  "When  we 
say  that  pleasure  is  the  end  of  life  we  do  not  mean  the 
pleasure  of  the  debauchee  or  the  sensualist,  as  some,  from 
ignorance  or  from  malignity,  represent,  but  freedom  of 
the  body  from  pain  and  of  the  soul  from  anxiety."  This 
most    humane    of   the    ancient    creeds    had    degenerated 


Acts  13:  i  to  21 :  16.  357 

from  the  principles  which  its  founder  taught  in  his  quiet 
garden. 

The  Stoics  were  founded  by  Zeno  of  Cyprus  in  the  third 
century  before  Christ,  and  their  principles  were  largely 
drawn  from  the  philosophy  of  Socrates  and  Aristotle. 
They  affirmed  that  the  highest  good  was  indifference  to 
pleasure  or  pain.  They  repressed  emotion  and  condemned 
pleasure.  Josephus  classed  them  with  the  Pharisees  on 
many  points,  especially  predestination.  They  were  Pan- 
theists and  believed  that  the  soul  at  death  was  absorbed  by 
God.  On  the  death  of  Augustus  one  of  them  said,  "The 
dust  returns  to  the  earth  and  the  spirit  to  God,"  but  they 
did  not  believe  in  the  resurrection.  Both  of  these  sects 
were  trying  to  make  philosophy  a  life. 

Taking  his  text  from  a  heathen  altar,  and  the  only  other 
text  quoted  being  from  their  own  poets,  Aratus  and 
Cleanthes,  Paul  delivered  one  of  his  greatest  discourses. 
To  him  God  is  everywhere — in  a  hand's  touch  of  every- 
one— and  all  mankind  is  His  offspring.  From  this  thought 
Tennyson  said : — 

"The  sun,  the  moon,  the  stars,  the  seas,  the  hills  and  the  plains, 
Are  not  these,  O  soul,  the  vision  of  Him  who  reigns  ? 
Dark  is  the  world  to  thee ;  thyself  art  the  reason  why ; 
For  is  He  not  all  but  that  which  has  power  to  feel,  I  am  I  ? 
Glory  about  thee,  without  thee ;  and  thou  fulfillest  thy  doom, 
Making  Him  broken  gleams,  and  a  stifled  splendor  and  gloom. 
Speak  to  Him,  thou,  for  He  hears,  and  spirit  with  spirit  can  meet ; 
Closer  is  He  than  breathing,  and  nearer  than  hands  or  feet." 

Although  the  poets'  god  was  Zeus  of  the  Greeks,  Paul 
used  it  of  the  true  God  and  delivered  the  Divine  order  for 
universal  repentance,  "Inasmuch  as  Fie  hath  appointed  a 
day  in  which  He  will  judge  the  world  in  righteousness  by 
the  Man  whom  He  hath  ordained ;  whereof  He  hath  given 
assurance  unto  all  men,  in  that  He  hath  raised  Him  from 


358  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

the  dead."^^  The  doctrine  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul 
was  to  them  fascinating ;  but  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  body  was  revolting,  and  at  this  they  mocked. 
Of  immortality,  Pindar,  the  prince  of  their  lyric  poets, 
who  lived  four  hundred  years  before  Christ,  had  said : — 

"The  islands  of  the  blest  they  say, 
The  islands  of  the  blest 
Are  peaceful  and  happy  by  night  and  day 
Far  away  in  the  glorious  west. 

"They  need  not  the  moon  in  that  land  of  delight, 

They  need  not  the  pale,  pale  star; 

The  sun  he  is  bright  by  day  and  night 

Where  the  souls  of  the  blessed  are. 

"They  till  not  the  ground,  they  plough  not  the  wave, 

They  labor  not — never ;  oh,  never ! 
Not  a  tear  do  they  shed,  not  a  sigh  do  they  heave. 
They  are  happy  forever  and  ever. 

"Soft  is  the  breeze,  like  the  evening  one, 
When  the  sun  hath  gone  to  his  rest; 
And  the  sky  is  pure,  and  the  clouds  there  are  none 
In  the  islands  of  the  blest. 

"The  deep,  clear  sea,  in  its  mazy  bed, 

Doth  garlands  of  gems  unfold ; 
Not  a  tree  but  it  blazes  with  crowns  for  the  dead 
Even  flowers  of  living  gold." 

All  peoples  have  believed  in  some  phase  of  immortality, 
but  no  race  ever  robed  it  in  such  beauty  as  the  Greeks. 
Christianity  went  further  than  immortality.  Jesus  said, 
"Marvel  not  at  this:  for  the  hour  cometh,  in  which  all 
that  are  in  the  tombs  shall  hear  His  voice  and  shall  come 
forth;  they  that  have  done  good,  unto  the  resurrection  of 
life;  and  they  that  have  done  evil,  unto  the  resurrection  of 
judgment."     This  is  the  distinctive  peculiarity  of  Christi- 


"Acts  17 :  31. 


Acts  13:  i  to  21 :  16. 


359 


anity,  and  even  poetic  Athens  gave  converts  to  this  new 
rehgion.  Dionysius,  who  was  a  member  of  the  court  of 
Areopagus,  became  a  bishop  of  the  Church  at  Athens  and 
died  a  martyr. 

Corinth  was  the  capital  of  the  Roman  province  of 
Achaia,  and  it  was  called  the  "two-seaed  Corinth"  be- 
cause it  was  situated  on  the  isthmus,  three  and  a  half  miles 
wide,  which  connected  the  Peloponnesus  with  the  main- 
land of  Greece,  having  a  harbor  on  both  sides,  that  on  the 
west  being  called  Lachaerum  and  on  the  east  Cenchreae. 
In  consequence  of  this  Pindar  called  it  ''the  bridge  of  the 
sea."  Small  boats  were  sometimes  hauled  across  the 
isthmus.  Attempts  to  cut  a  canal  across  were  regarded  as 
impious,  because  it  was  interfering  with  the  Divine  plan. 
Later  Nero  undertook  it,  but  it  came  to  naught. 

Near  here  were  the  scenes  of  the  Isthmian  games,  which 
were  one  of  the  four  great  athletic  contests  and  festivals 
of  Greece,  consisting  of  foot  races,  chariot  races,  boxing 
and  wrestling.  The  victor's  prize  was  a  wreath  of  the  foli- 
age of  a  pine  tree,  which  grew  in  abundance  there.  Its 
architectural  beauty  gave  it  great  fame,  the  Corinthian 
column  in  particular  being  one  of  the  choicest  rem- 
nants of  Grecian  art.  It  was  destroyed  by  the  Romans  in 
146  B.  C,  but  exactly  one  hundred  years  later  it  was  re- 
founded  by  Julius  Caesar  as  a  Roman  colony,  and  it  arose 
to  be  the  governmental  and  commercial  center  of  Greece. 
Its  temples  were  in  abundance,  and  its  vice  became  as 
famous  as  its  architecture.  Its  glory  now  lies  in  the  dust, 
and  Gortho  is  the  name  of  the  village. 

Paul  preached  there  for  eighteen  months,  first  to  the 
Jews  and  the  Greeks;  then  he  broke  with  the  Jews  and 
turned  to  the  Gentiles.  He  first  met  Aquila  and  Priscilla 
there,   and   he   was   arrested   there   and   brousfht   before 


360  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Gallic,  the  Roman  proconsul,  who  dismissed  him.  "Many 
of  the  Corinthians  hearing  believed,  and  were  baptized.''"^ 
While  there  Paul  addressed  two  Epistles  to  the  Church  in 
Thessalonica ;  later  to  the  Church  in  Corinth  he  likewise 
addressed  two  Epistles.  Cenchrece  was  the  eastern  sea- 
port of  Corinth,  where  Paul  had  his  hair  cut  in  compli- 
ance with  a  vow  and  where  Phoebe  was  deaconess  of  the 
Church. ^- 

Ephesiis  was  the  metropolis  of  the  Roman  province  of 
Asia,  and  ranked  with  Alexandria  and  Antioch.  It  was 
situated  three  miles  from  the  sea,  on  the  river  Cayster, 
w^hich  later  became  so  filled  with  silt  from  the  fertile  valley 
that  it  was  unnavigable.  It  was  founded  by  Androchus 
the  Athenian  in  1044  B.  C,  who  drove  out  the  inhabitants 
that  had  been  planted  there  two  hundred  years  before  by 
Hercules,  and  established  a  Grecian  colony.  It  became 
the  royal  residence  of  the  Ionian  kings,  whose  dominion 
included  twelve  cities,  Smyrna  and  Miletus  being  named 
with  Ephesus  among  them,  in  the  western  part  of  Asia 
Minor. 

This  district  was  called  Ionia,  from  the  mythic  hero  Ion, 
the  son  of  Apollo.  It  was  conquered  by  Croesus,  then  by 
Persia,  then  by  Alexander  the  Great,  and  at  Paul's  time  it 
was  under  the  control  of  Rome,  whence  it  had  been  since 
129  B.  C.  Poetry,  philosophy,  literature  and  art  flour- 
ished there,  and  the  Ionic  column  is  a  remnant  of  their 
taste  of  beauty. 

Ephesus  was  famous  both  as  the  birthplace  of  the  god- 
dess Diana,  which  is  the  Latin  of  Artemis,  and  the  site  of 
the  great  temple  consecrated  to  her  worship,  which  was 
one  of  the  seven  wonders  of  the  world.  It  was  said  that 
the  sun  saw  nothing  in  its  course  more  magnificent  than 


'Acts  18:8.     '-Ro.  16:  I. 


Acts  13:1  to  21:16.  361 

the  temple  of  Diana.  The  first  temple  was  set  on  fire  by 
an  Ephesian  named  Herostratus  in  356  B.  C,  and  burned 
to  the  ground,  and  it  was  said  that  the  goddess  was  absent 
on  that  night  superintending  the  birth  of  Alexander  the 
Great.  It  was  rebuilt  by  liberal  contributions  from  all 
Asia,  and  was  more  beautiful  than  before,  being  220 
feet  wide  by  425  feet  long,  and  surrounded  by  one  hundred 
and  twenty-seven  marble  pillars  sixty  feet  high,  and  both 
Phidias  and  Apelles  put  the  wealth  of  their  paintings  on 
its  walls.  The  emblem  of  Diana  was  a  bee,  and  her 
priestesses  were  called  "bees."  Ephesus  was  called  the 
Temple-warden.  It  was  a  city  of  great  wealth,  and  the 
temple  was  the  depository  for  the  money  both  of  the  city 
and  individuals,  serving  as  a  kind  of  bank.  Th^  whole 
city  is  now  in  ruins  and  only  wild  beasts  live  there. 

The  planting  of  Christianity  there  may  be  ascribed  to 
Aquila  and  Priscilla,  whom  Paul  left  there  on  his  first  visit 
to  the  city,  when  on  his  second  missionary  tour.  On  his 
third  tour  he  remained  there  from  two  to  three  years,^"* 
out  of  which  visit  came  a  strong  Church.  The  apostle  John 
made  it  his  home,  and  it  is  said  that  Mary,  the  mother  of 
Jesus,  was  buried  there.  To  the  Church  there  Paul  ad- 
dressed one  of  his  Epistles. 

Leaving  Ephesus,  he  sailed  to  Caesarea,  and,  after  sa- 
luting the  Church  there,  he  returned  to  Antioch. 

Household  Conversions  (10:24,  44-48;  16:14,  15. 
23-34;  I  Cor.  i:  16;  16:  15). — A  whole  family  in  Christ 
is  a  beautiful  picture,  and  the  New  Testament  furnishes 
us  four  such  cases : 

( I )  Cornelius  of  the  Italian  band  at  Caesarea  became  a 
disciple,  and  with  him  his  household,  including  his  kins- 
men and  near  friends — "all  them  that  heard  the  IVord."'^* 


''Acts  19:8,  10;  20:31.     '^^Acts  10:44. 


362  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

(2)  Lydia,  a  seller  of  purple  cloth  and  garments  of 
Thyatira,  was  a  Jewess  or  a  proselyte,  for  she  kept  the 
Sabbath.  According  to  Ramsay,  purple  was  a  general 
term,  and  strictly  speaking  turkey-red  was  the  color  re- 
ferred to,  it  being  produced  from  the  madder  root  that  is 
found  in  great  abundance  around  Thyatira.  Lydia's  heart 
was  open  to  the  Word  and  she  obeyed.  Paul  was  for- 
bidden to  preach  the  word  in  Asia,  yet  his  first  convert  in 
Europe  was  an  Asiatic.  Speaking  of  her  household, 
Plumptre  said,  "It  may  well  have  consisted  of  female 
slaves  and  freed-women  whom  she  employed  and  who 
made  up  her  family." 

(3)  In  the  presence  of  the  miracle  of  the  earthquake, 
the  opening  of  the  prison  doors  and  the  bands  falling  off 
the  prisoners,  the  jailer,  trembling  with  fear,  asked  Paul 
and  Silas,  "Sirs,  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved?"  As  he  was 
a  Pagan,  and  not  having  heard  of  Jesus,  they  said,  as  one 
would  say  to  an  unbeliever  now,  "Believe  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  and  thou  shalt  be  saved,  thou  and  thy  house."  They 
then  preached  to  him  and  to  all  that  were  in  his  house,  and 
their  auditors  were  baptized  the  same  hour  of  the  night, 
and  "rejoiced  greatly  with  all  his  house,  having  believed  in 
God/''' 

(4)  Although  not  mentioned  in  the  book  of  Acts, 
Paul,  writing  to  the  Church  at  Corinth,  reminded  them 
that  he  baptized  the  household  of  Stephanas,^*^  and  in  the 
close  of  the  same  Epistle  he  spoke  of  "the  house  of 
Stephanas's"  having  given  themselves  to  the  ministry.^^ 

It  is  written  of  these  households  that,  in  the  case  of  Cor- 
nelius, they  all  spoke  in  tongues  and  believed,^^  of  the 
jailer  that  they  all  believed  and  rejoiced  in  the  Lord,^®  of 


"'Acts  16:  34.      "i  Cor.  16:  15.  •''Acts  16:  34. 

"i  Cor.  1 :  16.     ""Acts  10 :  46 ;  15  :  9. 


Acts  13:  i  to  21:  16.  363 

Stephanas  that  they  gave  themselves  to  ministering  to  the 
saints,«<*  and  of  Lydia  nothing  is  said  of  her  household 
other  than  its  hospitality,^^  but  it  is  only  reasonable  to  con- 
clude that  they  must  have  been  of  a  general  resemblance 
to  the  other  three,  namely,  believing  and  rejoicing  or 
serving. 

Paul's  Third  Missionary  Tour  (18:23-21:15).— 
Having  spent  some  time  in  Antioch,  Paul  started  upon  his 
third  and  last  missionary  tour,  largely  revisiting  the 
Churches  that  he  either  had  already  established  or  pre- 
viously visited,  covering  about  four  years,  53-57  A.  D., 
and,  being  arrested  in  Jerusalem  and  imprisoned,  he  never 
returned  to  Antioch. 

Galatia  and  Phrygia  were  the  central  regions  of  Asia 
Minor,  which  he  had  visited  twice  before  and  now  the 
third  time,  ''establishing  all  the  disciples." 

Ephesus  had  been  visited  hurriedly  by  him  on  his  sec- 
ond tour.  Previously  to  his  second  visit  a  certain  learned 
Jew  named  Apollos  had  come  to  Ephesus  from  Alexan- 
dria, which  for  two  centuries  had  been  a  center  of  philos- 
ophy and  arts,  the  great  library  there  containing  700,000 
volumes.  One-third  of  the  Alexandrian  population  was 
Jewish  and  that  city  had  become  the  center  of  Jewish 
learning,  although  the  Jews  there  were  despised  and  re- 
garded as  unorthodox  by  their  brethren  in  Palestine. 
Apollos  spoke  with  accuracy  and  power  many  things  con- 
cerning Jesus,  of  whom  he  appears  to  have  learned  only 
by  hearsay ;  nevertheless  he  was  deficient  in  his  knowledge 
of  the  Divine  plan  of  salvation,^^  for  he  knew  of  no  other 
baptism  than  that  practiced  by  John,*'^  but  when  Priscilla 
and  Aquila  heard  him,  and  the  mention  of  Priscilla  first 
may  indicate  that  she  was  a  stronger  teacher  than  her  hus- 


-I  Cor.  16 :  15.     "Acts  16 :  15.     «^Acts  18 :  25      '^Mt.  3  :  6. 


364  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

band,  they  taught  him  the  Way  more  accurately/'*  He 
appears  to  have  kindly  received  their  instructions  and  de- 
parted for  Corinth. 

Either  Priscilla  and  Aquila  did  not  fully  understand 
Christian  baptism  themselves,  for  "certain  disciples"  at 
Ephesus,  where  these  two  disciples  had  been  left  by 
Paul,  likewise  knew  of  no  other  baptism  than  that  prac- 
ticed by  John,  or  it  may  have  been  that  Priscilla  and 
Aquila  had  not  met  these  "certain  disciples"  so  as  to  teach 
them  the  Way;^^  but  whatever  were  the  conditions  re- 
garding Priscilla  and  Aquila,  the  "certain  disciples"  in 
Ephesus  were  rebaptized  and  this  time  "into  the  name  of 
the  Lord  Jesus,"  and  Paul  laid  his  hands  upon  them,  giv- 
ing them  the  miraculous  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  He 
preached  daily  in  the  school  of  Tyrannus,  of  whom  noth- 
ing is  known,  as  he  had  done  in  a  private  dwelling  in 
Corinth.^^  Many  who  practiced  magical  arts  brought 
their  books,  amounting  to  $8,000  or  $10,000,  and  burned 
them.  "So  mightily  grew  the  Word  of  the  Lord  and  pre- 
vailed." 

Because  of  the  falling  off  in  the  sales  of  the  small  silver, 
marble  and  terra-cotta  representations  of  the  goddess  in 
her  shrine,  which  persons  took  with  them  on  journeys  and 
kept  in  their  dwellings,  Demetrius,  probably  master  of 
a  guild  of  artisans,  stirred  up  a  riot  against  Paul.  The 
theater  of  Ephesus,  which  had  no  roof,  is  said  to  have  been 
the  largest  building  ever  erected  by  the  Greeks,  having 
capacity  for  24,000  people.  The  town  clerk,  or  secretary 
of  the  city,  was  the  most  influential  person  among  its  citi- 
zens, he  being  the  keeper  of  the  records,  reader  of  the  law 
to  the  people,  receiver  of  all  letters  addressed  to  the  city 
and  was  present  when  money  was  deposited  in  the  temple. 


"Mt.  28 :  19.      ^Acts  2  :  38.      *'Acts  18 :  7. 


Acts  13:  i  to  21 :  16.  365 

During  Paul's  ministry  of  two  to  three  years  in  Ephe- 
sus^'^  he  worked  continually  with  his  hands"'*  and  preached 
after  working  hours.  While  in  Ephesus  Paul  addressed 
his  first  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians. 

The  Rebaptising  at  Ephesus  (18:24-19:7).  John's 
baptism  was  practiced  by  Divine  authority  and  adminis- 
tered to  those  who  confessed  their  sins,  repenting  there- 
of. There  w^as  connected  with  it  no  gift  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  John  did  not  baptize  into  any  name,  so  far  as 
we  know.  His  baptism  was  a  part  of  the  service  of  the 
forerunner,  and  so  it  was  valid  until  the  announcement  of 
the  establishment  of  Christianity  on  the  day  of  Pentecost. 
After  that  time  the  administration  of  John's  baptism  was 
an  invalid  ordinance. 

Christian  baptism  had  its  origin  with  Christ,  and  it  was 
to  be  administered  to  those  w^ho  repented  of  their  sins  and 
confessed  their  faith  in  Him.  It  w'as  to  be  done  into  the 
name  of  Christ  and  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  con- 
nected with  it.  Such  appears  to  be  valid  baptism  accord- 
ing to  the  Scriptures,  and  it  must  remain  so  until  Christ 
revokes  the  order.  He  said,  ''All  authority  hath  been 
given  unto  me  in  Heaven  and  on  earth.  Go  ye  therefore, 
and  make  disciples  of  all  nations,  baptizing  them  into  the 
name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  vSon  and  of  the  Holy 
Spirit."'*®  On  the  day  of  Pentecost  Peter  said,  "Repent 
ve  and  be  baptized  everyone  of  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  unto  the  remission  of  sins;  and  ye  shall  receive  the 
gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit:'''' 

It  appears  that  all  the  apostles  and  the  others  of  the 
one  hundred  and  twenty  were  baptized  with  the  baptism 
of  John,  since  Jesus,  when  on  earth  before  His  crucifixion, 


'Acts  19  :  8,  19 ;  20 :  31.  "'Mt.  28 :  18,  19. 

'Acts  20 :  34 ;  i  Cor.  4 :  12.  '"Acts  2  :  38. 


366  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

urged  all  to  submit  to  John's  baptism,"^  but  this  was  before 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  when  John's  baptism  was  valid,  and 
the  3,000  that  were  baptized  on  that  day,  it  is  said,  ''were 
added"  unto  the  one  hundred  and  twenty  who  it  is  pre- 
sumed received  John's  baptism.  However,  henceforth  all 
who  accepted  Christ  were  to  submit  to  Christian  baptism. 
The  willingness  of  obedience  is  beautifully  illustrated 
when,  on  hearing  the  explanation  of  the  two  baptisms, 
"certain  disciples"  "were  baptized  into  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,"  or,  the  longer  form,  "into  the  name  of  the 
Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit,"  they  hav- 
ing received  John's  baptism  since  the  establishment  of 
Christianity,  consequently  they  were  living  under  an  in- 
valid ordinance. 

Paul's  contact  with  the  disciples  at  Ephesus  revealed  a 
deficiency  in  knowledge  of  the  Way  and  perhaps  in  their 
manner  of  living.  His  inquiry  disclosed  that  they  had 
never  heard  whether  the  Holy  Spirit  had  come — that  es- 
sential personality,  without  whom  one  cannot  claim  fel- 
lowship with  Christ."^-  These  disciples  were  groping  in 
the  dark,  and  although  they  had  received  neither  Chris- 
tian baptism  nor  the  Holy  Spirit,  they  are  spoken  of  as 
"disciples" — learners  of  Jesus.  They  were  rebaptized, 
when  they  received  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  con- 
formity to  the  promise  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  and  Paul 
laid  his  hands  upon  them,  giving  them  the  miraculous 
power,  as  Peter  and  John  did  with  the  Samaritans,'^^  and 
"they  spake  with  tongues  and  prophesied."  These  are 
the  only  two  instances  in  the  book  of  Acts  of  the  miracu- 
lous power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  being  given  by  the  hands 
of  the  apostles,  implying  that  no  one  else  but  the  apostles 
could  give  this  power.     Timothy  received  the  same  or  a 


"Lu.  7  :  29,  30.     "Ro.  8 :  9.     ''Acts  8 :  14-18. 


Acts  13:  i  to  21 :  16.  367 

similar  power  from  Paul.'*  This  miraculous  power  may 
have  been  given  in  many  quarters  by  the  apostles,  for  the 
New  Testament  not  being  written,  the  young  Churches 
needed  some  infallible  guide,  such  as  could  be  given  by 
one  who  was  divinely  inspired. 

It  is  of  importance  to  remember  that  the  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  came  on  the  Jews  on  the  day  of  Pentecost 
and  on  the  Gentiles  in  the  household  of  Cornelius — an 
historical  fact, marking  His  advent  into  this  world ;  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  came  to  all  believers  on  their  obedience 
to  Christ — marking  his  ownership  of  the  believer;  the 
miraculous  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  given  by  the 
laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  apostles — a  necessary  con- 
trol of  individuals  for  the  guidance  of  the  early  Church 
before  the  New  Testament  was  written. 

Macedonia  was  an  important  and  famous  kingdom  of 
Greece,  with  its  capital  at  Pella,  exercising  a  paramount 
influence  for  two  centuries  over  the  fortunes  of  the  an- 
cient world.  Although  the  Greek  language  and  civiliza- 
tion prevailed  among  this  composite  people,  the  Macedon- 
ians were  never  acknowledged  by  the  Greeks  as  fellow- 
countrymen,  especially  the  Greeks  of  Athens.  However, 
its  gradual  ascendency  under  Philip,  who  unified  the  Greek 
republics,  culminated  under  Alexander  the  Great  in  a 
world-empire,  reaching  from  the  Adriatic  to  the  Indus. 
On  his  death  many  violent  changes  followed,  and  the 
Macedonian  motherland  was  the  scene  of  great  struggles 
until  in  the  battle  of  Pydna  in  168  B.  C.  Macedonia  fell 
before  the  Roman  arms,  and  in  146  B.  C.  it  became  a  Ro- 
man province,  and  a  few  years  later  Thessalonica  became 
the  governmental  capital,  with  the  residence  of  the  Roman 
proconsul.     On  Paul's  second  tour  he  founded  Churches 


"2  Tim.  1 :  6. 


368  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

in  Philippi,  Thessalonica  and  Beroea,  which  he  revisited 
on  his  third  tour,  giving  them  "much  exhortation." 

Greece,  which  is  the  only  time  this  word  occurs  in  the 
New  Testament,  was  the  territory  lying  south  of  Mace- 
donia, which  the  ancient  Greeks  call  Hellas  and  them- 
selves Hellenes,  but  the  Romans  originated  the  designa- 
tion Greece  and  Greeks  from  a  small  tribe  called  Graikoi, 
with  whom  they  first  came  in  contact  on  landing  there. 
The  term  as  used  here  is  equivalent  to  Achaia,  and  so  it  is 
a  record  of  his  second  visit  to  Corinth,  where  he  spent 
three  months,  when  the  Jews  plotted  to  kill  him. 

Macedonia  was  visited  the  third  time,  for  instead  of 
going  directly  from  Corinth  to  Syria,  as  he  had  planned, 
he  went  north,  and  as  Philippi  was  the  first  European  city 
for  his  missionar}'  labors,  it  is  now  the  last  European  city 
that  he  visited  on  this  third  tour.  Troas  was  reached  in 
five  days,  and  there  they  observed  the  Lord's  Supper  and 
Paul  preached  and  raised  Eutychus  from  the  dead. 

Ass  OS,  which  was  an  important  seaport  town  in  the 
province  of  Asia,  was  connected  by  a  Roman  road  with 
Troas,  about  twenty  miles  distant,  which  could  be  trav- 
eled by  land  in  less  time  than  by  water.  Paul  walked  along 
this  road.  In  this  region  was  a  stone  called  lapis  Assius, 
or  stone  of  Assos,  in  which  bodies  were  entombed,  and  it 
was  said  that  this  stone  consumed  the  flesh  and  bones  in 
forty  days,  leaving  only  the  teeth.  Here  originated  the 
sarcophagus,  which  later  was  introduced  into  Egypt,  using 
another  stone,  where  it  was  used  for  preserving  the  bodies 
rather  than  for  destroying  them.  The  Greeks,  although 
making  a  perfect  representation  of  the  human  body  as  the 
highest  expression  of  art,  cared  nothing  for  it  after  death ; 
on  the  other  hand,  the  Egyptians,  believing  in  the  immor- 


Acts  13:  i  to  21 :  16.  369 

tality  of  both  soul  and  body,  were  careful  to  preserve  the 
bodies  of  their  dead. 

Mitylene  was  the  chief  town  on  the  island  of  Lesbos, 
which  lay  about  ten  to  twelve  miles  from  the  mainland  of 
Asia.  It  is  one  of  the  few  ancient  towns  of  the  ^gean 
that  is  still  flourishing.  Chios  was  an  island  about  five 
miles  from  the  mainland,  and  is  now  called  Scio.  Samos 
was  one  of  the  most  important  islands  in  the  ^gean,  and 
the  town  bore  the  same  name,  which  was  a  center  of  Ionian 
luxury,  art  and  science. 

Miletus  was  once  the  greatest  Greek  city  in  Asia,  being 
older  than  Ephesus.  It  appears  for  a  time  to  have  been 
the  capital  of  the  Ionian  confederacy,  and  from  it  more 
than  seventy-five  colonies  were  founded.  Its  commerce 
.reached  to  the  Atlantic.  Other  cities  of  that  region  sur- 
passed it  in  the  times  of  the  Roman  dominion,  and  now  it 
is  nothing  more  than  a  village.  From  here  Paul  sent 
about  sixty  miles  north  to  Ephesus  for  the  elders  of  the 
Church,  although  by  air  line  the  distance  is  estimated  by 
Ramsay  to  be  thirty-two  and  a-half  miles,  but  because  of 
the  rivers  and  mountains  the  road  was  longer.  The  elders 
of  the  Church  at  Ephesus  came  to  Miletus  as  requested, 
and  Paul  exhorted  them  to  fidelity,  and  bidding  them  fare- 
well, he  returned  to  the  ship  for  the  continuation  of  his 
voyage. 

Cos  was  an  island,  called  "the  garden  of  the  .Egean," 
because  of  its  fertile  fields  and  fine  fruits  and  wines  and 
production  of  silk.  The  town  which  bore  the  same  name 
w^as  famous  for  its  temple  of  ^sculapius,  the  god  of  medi- 
cine, which  had  connected  with  it  one  of  the  oldest  and 
greatest  medical  schools  in  Greece,  and  it  was  the  birth- 
place of  Hippocrates,  the  greatest  Greek  physician,  who 
adorned  this  school  with  his  e^enius. 


370  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Rhodes  was  the  name  of  both  the  island  and  the  city. 
Strabo  regarded  it  as  the  most  splendidly  equipped  city  of 
the  first  century  in  respect  to  harbors,  streets,  walls  and 
other  improvements.  In  it  was  an  idolatrous  temple  erected 
by  a  Jew,  also  the  famous  temple  of  the  sun,  and  the 
proverb  was,  ''The  sun  shines  every  day  in  Rhodes."  The 
famous  Colossus,  which  was  named  as  the  chief  of  the 
seven  wonders  of  the  world,  was  a  statue  of  the  sun-god, 
105  feet  high,  which  stood  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbor. 
It  fell  during  the  earthquake  of  224  B.  C. 

Patara,  which  was  a  city  on  the  mainland,  was  the  port 
of  Xanthus,  the  capital  of  Lycia,  and  it  was  famous  for  its 
temple  and  oracle  of  Apollo.  Paul  changed  ships  there 
and  embarked  for  Palestine.  Cyprus  was  the  island  of  the 
labors  of  his  first  missionary  tour.  Tyre  was  a  colony 
from  Sidon.'^  Herodotus  gave  the  date  of  its  founding 
as  2750  B.  C,  but  Josephus  made  it  1217  B.  C.  Isaiah, 
however,  spoke  of  it  as  a  city  "whose  antiquity  is  of 
ancient  days."  It  was  built  on  both  the  island  and  the 
mainland,  and  it  became  the  most  celebrated  city  of  the 
ancient  world.  Her  glass  works,  her  bluish-purple  dyes 
obtained  from  the  shellfish  and  her  commerce  gave  her 
fame.  Her  mariners  went  into  every  port  on  the  Mediter- 
ranean, went  beyond  the  Strait  of  Gibraltar  and  rounded 
the  continent  of  Africa.  Tyre  was  the  sea-pedlar  of  an- 
tiquity, and  she  was  as  famous  in  commerce  as  Jerusalem 
was  in  religion.  Her  colonies  were  planted  everywhere, 
Carthage  becoming  the  most  famous.  In  664  B.  C.  it  was 
taken  by  the  Assyrians,  then  by  the  Babylonians,  then  the 
Persians,  and  when  Alexander  the  Great  took  it  with  his 
fleet,  in  332  B.  C,  6000  persons  perished  by  the  sword, 
2000  were  crucified  and  30,000  women,  children  and  slaves 


"Isa.  23 :  12. 


Acts  13:  i  to  21:  16.  371 

were  sold.  Later  it  was  under  Syria,  and  in  65  B.  C.  it 
passed  quietly  under  Rome. 

Both  Origen  and  Porphyry — one  the  friend  and  the 
other  the  bitterest  enemy  of  Christianity — lived  there,  and 
after  being  the  mother  of  colonies  and  the  mistress  of 
seas  Tyre  sank  into  desolation.  It  is  now  in  ruins,  its 
harbor  being  filled,  and  fishermen  dry  their  nets  on  its 
rocks  in  fulfilment  of  Ezekiel's  prophecy :  "Behold,  I  am 
against  thee,  O  Tyre,  and  will  cause  many  nations  to 
come  up  against  thee,  as  the  sea  causeth  its  waves  to  come 
up.  And  they  shall  destroy  the  walls  of  Tyre,  and  break 
down  her  towers :  I  will  also  scrape  her  dust  from  her 
and  make  her  a  bare  rock.  She  shall  be  a  place  for  the 
spreading  of  nets  in  the  midst  of  the  sea."^®  In  partition- 
ing the  land  of  Canaan  among  the  Israelites,  Tyre  was 
mentioned,^^  but  the  inhabitants  of  Phoenicia  were  not 
driven  out.  Both  David  and  Solomon  made  treaties  with 
the  kings  of  Tyre.  Jesus  visited  the  coasts  of  Tyre  during 
His  Galilsean  ministry,  and  when  Paul  landed  there  it  was 
the  largest  city  of  Palestine  except  Jerusalem.  The  dis- 
ciples there  advised  Paul  not  to  go  to  Jerusalem,  and,  be- 
ing followed  by  them  to  the  beach,  where  there  kneeled 
down  and  prayed,  Paul  embarked  from  there  southward. 

Ptolemais,  which  was  midway  between  Tyre  and  Caes- 
area,  was  the  Egyptian  name  for  the  ancient  town  of 
Acco,"  being  named  after  Ptolemy  II  Philadelphus  after 
falling  into  his  possession.  It  contained  a  splendid  temple 
to  Jupiter  built  by  the  Greeks  and  a  gymnasium  built  by 
Herod.  Josephus  called  it  "a  maritime  city  of  Galilee." 
It  is  now  called  Acre,  or  Akka,  and  has  a  population  of 
12,000.  Here  Paul  landed,  and,  remaining  with  the  dis- 
ciples there  one  day.    He  then  went  by  land  about  forty 


^'Ezek.  26 :  3-5.      "Josh.  19 :  29.      "Jud.  1:31. 


2;j2  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

miles  under  the  shadow  of  Mount  Carmel  down  to  Caes- 
area  and  the  nine  men  with  him/^  and  they  received  the 
hospitality  of  Philip,  the  evangelist,  who  was  one  of  the 
seven,  and  whose  daughters  had  the  gift  of  prophecy  and 
proclaimed  Jesus.  Agabus  foretold  Paul's  arrest  at  Jeru- 
salem, and  the  apostle  went  thither,  where  ended  his  third 
missionary  tour. 


O  Lord,  grant  me  a  love  like  that  which  took  hold  of 
the  heart  of  Paul.  Give  to  me  a  vision  of  the  needed  fields. 
Let  me  so  forget  myself  that  the  only  calculation  I  shall 
make  will  be  the  amount  of  Thy  power  and  the  extent  of 
the  lost  world.  Hardships,  toils,  disappointments — these 
things  should  not  deter  me.  Whatever  be  in  the  way, 
Thou  has  taught  me  that  no  man  putting  his  hands  to  the 
plow  and  looking  back  is  fit  for  Thy  Kingdom.  Increase 
Thyself  in  me  so  that  my  witness  for  Thee  shall  be  accu- 
rate and  my  service  to  Thee  shall  at  no  time  be  tardy. 
Cities  that  men  have  built  have  their  day  and  then  go  down 
to  dust  and  desolation.  Let  me  never  lose  sight  of  that 
city — Thy  city — my  city — of  which  Thou  art  the  Architect 
and  Builder.  It  shall  not  perish,  for  Thou  art  the  Keeper 
of  it.    Keep  me  until  then.    Amen. 


Questions. 


I.  Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  at  the 
beginning  of  this  chapter.  2.  Give  the  title  and  limit  of  the  third 
division.  3.  Name  the  chapters  of  the  third  division.  4.  Of  what 
command  is  this  division  the  fulfilment?  5.  What  of  Antioch  and 
the  Church  there  ?  6.  What  of  Barnabas  ?  7.  Give  a  full  account 
of  Paul's  first  missionary  tour.  8.  What  of  his  discourse  in 
Antioch  of  Pisidia?  9.  What  of  the  Sabbath?  11.  What  of  con- 
firming the  souls?  12.  What  of  elders  in  the  Church?  13.  What 
of  the  great  controversy?  14.  What  of  the  disagreement  between 
Paul  and  Barnabas  (15  :  36-41)  ?    15.  Give  a  full  account  of  Paul's 


Acts  21 : 8. 


Acts  13:  i  to  21:  16.  373 

second  tour  as  far  as  reaching  Troas.  16.  A  full  account  from 
Troas  to  Beroea.  17.  What  of  Athens  and  Paul's  discourse  there? 
18.  What  of  Corinth  and  Paul's  ministry  there?  19.  What  of 
Ephesus  and  Paul's  return  to  Antioch?  20.  Explain  the  household 
conversions.  21.  Give  a  full  account  of  Paul's  third  missionary 
tour  as  far  as  reaching  Ephesus.  22.  Explain  the  rebaptizing  at 
Ephesus.  23.  Give  a  full  account  from  Ephesus  to  his  tour 
through  Europe  and  return  as  far  as  reaching  Miletus.  24.  A  full 
account  from  Miletus  to  reaching  Tyre.  25.  A  full  acount  from 
Tyre  to  Jerusalem.  26.  Trace  on  the  map  each  of  the  three  tours. 
27.  What  is  your  prayer  in  this  study.  28.  What  is  your  prayer 
in  the  light  of  such  missionary  labors? 


ACTS. 

IV.    Paul's  Five  Years'  Imprisonment  and  His  Five 
Defenses. — 21 :  17-28:  31. 


"Be  of  good  cheer :  for  as  thou  hast  testified  concerning  me  at 
Jerusalem,  so  must  thou  bear  witness  also  at  Rome." — Jesus  to 
Paul  in  the  Prison  at  Ccesarca  on  the  Night  following  his  Trial 
before  the  Sanhedrin  (23:  11). 


"There  shall  be  a  resurrection  both  of  the  just  and  unjust."- 
Paul  before  Felix  (24:  15). 


"Go  thy  way  for  this  time ;  and  when  I  have  a  convenient  season, 
I  will  call  thee  unto  me." — Felix  to  Paul  after  his  Sermon  on 
Righteousness,  Self-control  and  Judgment  (24:  25). 


"Neither  against  the  Law  of  the  Jews,  nor  against  the  Temple, 
nor  against  Caesar,  have  I  sinned  at  all." — Paul  before  Festiis 
(25:8). 


"Why  is  it  judged  incredible  with  you,  if  God  doth  raise  the 
dead." — Paul  before  Agrippa  (26:8). 


"With  but  Httle  persuasion  thou  wouldest  fain  make  me  a  Chris- 
tian."—^^n>/?a  to  Paul  (26:28). 


"There  stood  by  me  this  night  an  angel  of  the  God  whose  I  am, 
whom  also  I  serve." — Paul  in  the  midst  of  the  Storm  on  the 
Mediterranean  (27:23). 


376 


ACTS. 

IV.     Paul's  Five  Years'  Imprisonment  and  His  Five 
Defenses. — 21 :  17-28:  31. 

With  about  twenty-two  years  of  missionary  labors  back 
of  him — years  of  toil  and  hardship,  but  years  of  Gospel 
seed-sowing  and  soul-reaping — Paul  leaves  Csesarea  for 
Jerusalem,  although  he  had  been  warned  by  the  prophet 
Agabus  that  greater  persecutions  awaited  him  there  at  the 
hands  of  both  Jews  and  Gentiles. 

Paul  and  the  Jerusalem  Church  (21:17-26). — 
Paul  was  kindly  received  by  the  Jerusalem  Church,  and 
he  delivered  to  them  the  offering  which  he  had  brought 
from  the  Churches  of  his  own  planting.^  The  apostles 
appear  to  have  been  away,  doubtless  in  missionary  work, 
but  James,  the  half-brother  of  Jesus,  and  the  elders,  the 
officers  in  the  local  Church,  heard  on  the  day  following  the 
report  of  Paul's  work  among  the  Gentiles,  in  which  they 
showed  themselves  to  be  in  full  sympathy.  It  was  most 
difficult,  however,  for  the  Church  in  Jerusalem  to  get  away 
from  the  ceremonial  Law,  being  located  at  the  center  of 
Judaism,  and  so,  while  they  believed  Jesus  to  be  the  Christ, 


Markings. — Undermark,  21:17,  27,  40;  22:8,  30;  23:11;  24: 
15;  25:8;  26:8,  21,  28;  27:  I,  26;  28:  14,  16,  22;  also  undermark 
the  words  "defense"  in  22 :  i ;  "a  Roman"  in  22 :  25 ;  "Ananias" 
in  23  :  2 ;  "resurrection"  in  23  :  6 ;  "conspiracy"  in  23  :  13 ;  "Felix" 
in  23  :  24 ;  "Csesarea"  in  23  :  S3  ;  "in  Herod's  palace"  in  23 :  35  ; 
"Ananias"  and  "Tertullus"  in  24:  i;  "Felix"  in  24:3;  "Paul"  and 
"defense"  in  24 :  10 ;  "two  years"  in  24 :  27 ;  "Festus"  in  25 :  i ;  "I 
appeal  unto  Caesar"  in  25 :  11;  "Agrippa"  in  25 :  13 ;  "Agrippa," 
"Paul"  and  "defense"  in  26 :  i ;  "Sidon"  in  27  :  3 ;  "Myra"  in  27 :  5 ; 

'Ro.  15:31. 

377 


378  Among  the  Gospp:ls  and  the  Acts. 

some  among  them  still  practiced  the  Mosaic  Law,  although 
not  requiring  it  of  the  Gentile  converts.- 

The  charge  that  had  been  circulated  against  Paul  was 
that  he  taught  the  Jews  to  apostatise  from  the  Mosaic  Law 
as  an  obligation  imposed  by  the  Gospel,  which,  in  fact,  he 
had  not  done,  as  was  proven  by  his  circuincising  Timothy, 
who  was  only  a  half  Jew,  and  calling  the  Corinthians 
more  than  a  year  before  to  witness  that  he  had  been  a  Jew- 
to  the  Jews,  observing  their  customs;^  but  to  absolutely 
refute  the  charge,  on  the  advice  of  James  and  the  elders, 
Paul  agreed  to  appear  in  the  Temple  with  four  Jewish 
Christians,  who  had  taken  the  Nazarite  vow  of  the  Mosaic 
Law,  and  become  a  Nazarite  with  them,  and  share  the 
expense,  which  was  considerable/  While  the  four  would 
require  seven  days,  for  they  appeared  to  have  touched  a 
dead  body,  Paul's  uncleanness,  being  from  some  other 
cause- named  in  the  Law,  would  require  only  a  day.^  The 
shaving  of  the  hair  in  connection  with  religious  vows  is 
still  customary  with  Orientals,  especially  the  Moslems. 

The  difficulty  of  this  transaction  was  Paul's  participa- 
tion in  the  offering  of  sacrifices,  which  was,  however,  not 
inconsistent,  inasmuch  as  Paul  and  the  most  enlightened 


"Fair  Havens"  in  27:8;  "jMelita"  in  28:1;  "a  viper"  in  28:3; 
"Publiiis"  in  28:  7;  'Tiiteoli"  in  28:  13. 

Mark,  21 :  21,  30,  31 ;  22:  4,  10.  16.  22;  23:  2,  5,  30;  24:  5,  6,  21, 
25;  25:6,  12,  19,  25;  26:  16-18,  32;  27:20,  24,  33,  37,  44;  28:4,  IT, 
24.  30,  31. 

Personal  mark,  27  :  2-^. 

Mark  with  the  cross,  26 :  23. 

Mark  with  P,  meaning  prayer,  22 :  17  ;  27  :  35  ;  28:  8,  15. 

The  names  of  the  chapters  of  the  fourth  division :  22 — Paul's 
Defense  from  the  Castle  Stairs  Before  the  Multitude ;  23 — Paul's 
Defense  Before  the  Sanhedrin  and  the  Conspiracy  for  His  Death ; 
24 — Paul's  Defense  Before  Felix  at  Caesarea ;  25 — Paul's  Defense 
Before  Festus  and  His  Appeal  to  Caesar;  26— -Paul's  Defense  Be- 
fore Agrippa ;  2"] — Paul  Shipwrecked  ;  28 — Paul  as  a  Prisoner  in 
Rome  for  Two  Years. 

^Acts  21 :  25.     'i  Cor.  9:  20.     "Nu.  6:  13-18.     ''Lev.  15:  1-30. 


Acts  21:17  to  28 :  3  i  .  379 

Christians  knew  that  the  days  of  sacrificial  offerings  were 
past,  but  as  a  matter  of  expediency  in  which  there  was  an 
exercise  of  Christian  Hberty,  it  was  done  to  set  at  rest  the 
murmurs  of  those  Jewish  Christians  who  did  not  see  that 
sacrificial  offerings  were  abolished,  and  perhaps  their 
faith  would  have  been  wrecked  by  too  revolutionary 
change.  Those  sacrifices  were  once  all  right,  and  gradu- 
ally those  who  practiced  them  and  became  believers  in 
Jesus  would  be  led  away  from  them  to  the  real  sacrifice 
of  self  for  Him  who  is  the  sacrifice  for  us  all. 

The  Old  and  the  New  Testament  Contrasted. — It 
must  not  be  overlooked  that  there  are  two  testaments — 
the  first,  called  the  Old  Testament,  of  which  Moses  was 
the  lawgiver  and  designed  chiefly  for  the  Jews,  and  out 
of  which  came  the  Gospel,  prophecies  and  promises ;  the 
second,  called  the  New  Testament,  of  which  Jesus  is  the 
Lawgiver  and  designed  for  the  whole  world.  Paul,  refer- 
ring to  these  two  testaments,  speaks  of  the  first  under  the 
terms  of  "the  Law,"  and  the  second  as  ''faith. "  He  said: 
''Before  faith  came  we  were  kept  in  ward  under  the  Law, 
shut  up  unto  the  faith  which  should  afterwards  be  re- 
vealed. So  that  the  Law  is  become  our  tutor  to  bring  us 
unto  Christ,  that  we  might  be  justified  by  faith.  But  now 
that  faith  is  come,  we  are  no  longer  under  a  tutor.  For  we 
are  all  sons  of  God,  through  faith  in  Christ  Jesus. "^  To 
the  Romans  he  wrote,  "We  are  not  under  Law,  but  under 
grace. "^ 

To  the  Corinthians  he  wrote,  contrasting  the  ministra- 
tions of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  under  the  terms 
"the  letter"  and  "the  spirit,"  as  follows :  "As  ministers  of 
a  new  covenant ;  not  of  the  letter,  but  of  the  spirit :  for  the 
letter  killeth,  but  the  spirit  giveth  life.    But  if  the  ministra- 


'Gal.  3  :  23-26.     'Ro.  6:14. 


380  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

tion  of  death,  written  and  engraven  on  stones,  came  with 
glory,  so  the  children  of  Israel  could  not  look  steadfastly 
upon  the  face  of  Moses  for  the  glory  of  his  face;  which 
glory  zvas  passing  away:  how  shall  not  rather  the  minis- 
tration of  the  spirit  be  with  glory?  .  .  .  For  if  that 
which  passeth  away  was  zvith  glory,  much  more  that  which 
remaineth  is  in  glory.  .  .  .  Moses,  who  put  a  veil 
upon  his  face,  that  the  children  of  Israel  should  not  look 
steadfastly  on  the  end  of  that  zvhich  was  passing  away: 
but  their  minds  were  hardened :  for  until  this  very  day  at 
the  reading  of  the  old  covenant  the  same  veil  remaineth, 
it  not  being  revealed  to  them  that  it  is  done  away  in 
Christ/'^  Following  close  upon  this,  the  writer  of  the 
letter  to  the  Hebrews  says,  ''In  that  He  saith,  A  new  cove- 
nant, He  hath  made  the  first  old.  But  that  which  is  becom- 
ing old  and  waxeth  aged  is  nigh  unto  vanishing  away."^ 

From  these  passages  of  Scripture  it  is  concluded  that 
the  Old  Testament  is  not  now  of  force — not  that  the  moral 
obligations  are  abolished,  however.  Many  of  these  were 
before  the  Old  Testament  was,  and  later  they  were  in- 
cluded in  it,  and  still  later  they  were  included  in  the  New 
Testament,  as  certain  civic  laws  were  before  the  British 
statutes  were  formed,  and  later  they  were  included  in  that 
code  of  laws,  and,  on  those  laws  being  abolished  in  the 
American  colonies,  the  statutes  of  the  American  republic 
contained  many  of  the  same  laws ;  so  the  Old  Testament 
as  the  first  covenant  was  done  away  in  Christ.  He  did  not 
destroy  it,  but  He  fulfilled  it.  It  is  still  valuable  as  God's 
first  covenant  with  man,  giving  us  lessons  in  the  Father's 
dealing  with  the  race  and  prophecies  of  the  promised 
Messiah.  The  Sabbath,  circumcision  and  the  Passover 
were  institutions  of  the  Old  Testament;  the  Lord's  Day, 


"2  Cor.  3:6-14.      "Heb.  8:13. 


Acts  21:17  to  28:31.  381 

baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper  are  institutions  of  the  New 
Testament,  and  they  have  no  connection  whatever  with 
the  Old  Testament  institutions. 

Of  the  Sabbath  George  D.  Boardman  said:  "The  Sab- 
bath of  Scripture  is  in  the  main  Jewish,  and,  as  such,  local 
and  transient.  It  is  based  largely  on  the  decalogue,  and 
the  decalogue,  although  in  its  spirit  for  all  lands  and  ages, 
is  in  its  letter  evidently  for  the  Hebrews.  This  judgment 
is  irresistible  if  we  examine  the  connection,  the  preamble,^*^ 
the  local  allusion  in  the  •  fifth  commandment,  and  the 
change  of  phraseology  in  the  fourth  commandment  as 
given  in  Du.  10 :  15.  If  you  base  the  Sabbath  on  the  deca- 
logue, I  do  not  see  but  that  you  are  bound  to  keep  Satur- 
day, inflict  the  Mosaic  penalty  for  Sabbath-breaking,  keep 
Passover  and  Day  of  Atonement  and  turn  your  churches 
into  sacrificial  slaughter-houses.  Whereas  these  were  a 
shadow  of  things  to  come,  but  the  body  is  Christ's.  It  is 
a  significant  fact  that  the  only  full  twenty-four  hours 
which  the  Lord  of  all  spent  in  the  tomb  was  the  Sabbath 
of  the  decalogue,  or  the  Jewish  Sabbath.  The  apostolic 
disregard  of  it  is  also  strikingly  significant,  especially 
when  we  remember  that  many  of  their  converts  were 
heathen  and  that  in  their  extant  letters  there  is  but  one 
solitary  allusion  to  it,  and  this  in  way  of  classifying  it  with 
ceremonial  observances.^^  All  this  shows  that  the  Scrip- 
tural Sabbath,  or  the  Sabbath  as  an  ordinance  in  the  letter, 
was  Jewish,  and  as  such  geographical  and  temporary." 
The  same  principle  applies  to  every  other  Old  Testament 
institution  which  has  given  away  to  those  Christian  insti- 
tutions adapted  to  all  places  and  all  ages. 

Paul's  Arrest  (21:27-36). — The  Ephesian  Jews,  for 
the  reference  is  to  Asia,  the  province  in  which  Ephesus 


"Ex.  20:1,2.     "Col.  2:16. 


382  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

was  situated,  sought  to  stir  up  Jerusalem  as  Demetrius 
did  Ephesus  some  time  before/-  although  they  had  no 
evidence  whatever  that  Trophimus  had  been  in  the  Tem- 
ple, either  in  the  inner  court,  which  was  for  the  Jews 
only,  or  the  outer  court,  which  was  for  the  Gentiles ;  only 
they  had  seen  him  with  Paul  in  the  city,  but  malice  is 
quick  to  put  wrong  constructions  on  doubtful  acts  before 
they  are  investigated.  Their  charge  that  Paul  taught  the 
Jews  to  apostatize  from  the  Law  was  as  electrical  on  the 
Jewish  multitude  as  was  the  charge  of  Demetrius  that 
Paul  taught  the  Pagans  to  apostatize  from  Diana  on  the 
Pagan  multitude  of  Ephesus. 

In  a  little  while  Paul  was  in  the  hands  of  the  mob,  and 
they  dragged  him  out  of  the  Jewish  court  into  the  Court 
of  the  Gentiles,  beating  him,  when  he  was  arrested  in  con- 
sequence of  the  wrath  of  his  countrymen  by  the  chief  cap- 
tain, Claudius  Lysias,  who  was  called  the  chiliarch,  or 
military  tribune,  the  leader  of  a  thousand  men,  answering 
somewhat  to  a  colonel  in  an  American  army.  Paul  would 
have  been  lynched  had  it  not  been  for  these  soldiers  from 
the  tower  of  Antonia  which  stood  in  the  northwest  corner 
of  the  Temple  court,  where  the  Roman  garrison  was  quar- 
tered. In  Corinth  another  Roman  official,  Gallio,  the  pro- 
consul of  Achaia,  had  befriended  Paul  from  the  malice  of 
his  countrymen. ^^  Bleeding  and  stunned,  the  soldiers 
lifted  him  on  their  shoulders  and  carried  him  into  the  cas- 
tle, while  the  multitude  cried,  "Away  with  him." 

Paul's  Defense  Before  the  Mob  (21:37-22:29). — 
"Thou  art  not,  then,  that  Egyptian,"  were  probably  the 
first  words  from  the  lips  of  the  chief  captain,  who  had 
taken  Paul  for  the  Egyptian  false  prophet,  spoken  of  by 
Josephus,  who  as  an  evidence  of  his  ability  to  take  Jeru- 


^"Acts  19:23-28.      ^"Acts  18:  12-17. 


Acts  21:17  to  28:31.  383 

salein  from  the  Romans  predicted  that  on  his  reaching  the 
top  of  the  Mount  of  OHves  the  walls  of  the  city  would  fall 
to  the  ground  at  his  command.  Felix  scattered  his  band 
of  4,000  robbers,  called  Sicarii^  or  Assassins,  and  killed 
some,  but  the  false  prophet  escaped ;  but  Paul  was  no  such 
character. 

Standing  on  the  castle  stairs,  chained  to  two  soldiers, 
with  garments  torn  and  stained  with  his  own  blood,  but 
bearing  a  dignity  that  brought  quiet  even  to  a  mob,  he 
made  his  defense,  which  may  be  divided  as  follows :  ( ]  ) 
His  former  life  was  that  of  a  persecutor  like  theirs — 
22:  1-5  :  (2)  his  conversion  was  brought  about  by  his  be- 
lief in  Jesus  as  the  Messiah — 6-16;  (3)  he  was  divmely 
commissioned  to  preach  to  the  Gentiles — 17-21.  The 
.whole  address  was  tactful,  several  times  standing  on 
ground  of  common  sympathy,  but  on  his  reference  to  the 
Gentiles  as  proper  subjects  for  the  Kingdom  of  God  they 
broke  into  his  address  by  crying  out,  *'Away  with  such  a 
fellow  from  the  earth,  for  it  is  not  fit  that  he  should  live," 
and  throwing  dust  into  the  air  as  an  expression  of  their 
rage,  whereupon  Paul  was  taken  into  the  castle. 

Captain  Lysias  failing  to  understand  either  the  Hebrew 
language  or  the  religion  of  Jesus,  as  stated  in  Paul's  de- 
fense, decided  to  extort  the  confession  of  his  crime  by 
scourging  him  with  leather  thongs,  which  was  a  common 
practice  in  the  Roman  empire  upon  those  who  were  not 
Roman  citizens ;  but  on  Paul's  claim  to  this  distinction,  the 
chief  captain  became  alarmed,  because  to  scourge  a  Ro- 
man citizen  was  treason,  which  was  punishable  with  death. 
At  the  same  time  a  false  claim  to  Roman  citizenship  was 
also  punishable  with  death ;  but  the  chief  captain  appeared 
to  have  accepted  Paul's  statement  without  question.  Ro- 
man citizenship  was  obtained  by  being  inherited  from  a 


384  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

father  who  was  a  freeman,  or  by  being  born  in  a  city  which 
had  been  made  free  because  of  some  special  service  to  the 
empire,  or  by  being  conferred  on  one  by  the  senate  for 
meritorious  service;  but  under  Claudius  Caesar  one  could 
purchase  his  citizenship  first  for  "a  great  sum,"  but  later 
the  franchise  fell  to  a  mere  trifle. 

Paul's  Defense  Before  the  Sanhedrin  (22:30- 
23  :  10). — With  little  understanding  of  the  charges  against 
Paul,  but  recognizing  that  they  were  matters  pertaining 
to  the  Jewish  nation,  Lysias  called  on  the  day  following  a 
session  of  the  Sanhedrin,  and  there,  perhaps  in  one  of  the 
rooms  of  the  Temple,  Paul  stood  face  to  face  with  the 
supreme  court  of  the  Jews,  one  of  which  he  doubtless  was 
once  and  some  were  doubtless  among  them  then  who  gave 
him  letters  years  before  with  authority  to  persecute  the 
Christians.  His  defense  was  based  on  his  conscientious 
course,  the  recital  of  which  was  interrupted  by  the  com- 
mand of  the  high  priest  to  smite  him  on  the  mouth,  which 
is  still  a  custom  practiced  in  Oriental  courts  to  enjoin  si- 
lence. It  was,  however,  easier  to  do  this  than  to  disprove 
what  he  said. 

Paul's  defective  sight  perhaps  prevented  his  recogniz- 
ing the  spokesman  as  the  high  priest,  who,  however,  had 
been  deposed  and  was  then  a  usurper  of  scandalous  char- 
acter. It  was  difficult  for  Paul  not  to  speak,  standing  in 
a  mock  trial  before  such  a  contemptible  court,  but  having 
forgotten  himself  for  a  moment,  he  quickly  suppressed  his 
passion  of  indignation,  and  Alford  suggested  that  this  in- 
cident might  serve  for  an  apology,  but  never  for  an  ex- 
ample. Whether  Paul's  answer  was  intended  for  prophecy 
or  not,  the  high  priest  Ananias  shortly  afterwards  died  by 
the  hands  of  assassins. 

Seeing  that  the  trial  was  futile,  Paul  tactfully  precipi- 


Acts  21  :  17  to  28:31.  385 

tated  a  discussion  between  the  Pharisees  and  the  Sad- 
ducees  by  proclaiming  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  of 
the  dead,  upon  which  these  two  Jewish  sects  differed 
widely,  and  thereupon  enlisting  the  sympathies  of  the 
Pharisee  party  for  his  cause.  The  court  broke  up  in  con- 
fusion, and  fearing  lest  Paul  should  be  lynched,  Captain 
Lysias  commanded  the  soldiers  to  take  him  back  to  the 
castle. 

Conspiracy  Against  Paul  and  His  Removal  to 
C^SAREA  (23:  12-35. — The  night  following  the  pretense 
of  a  trial  before  the  Sanhedrin,  when  Paul  must  have  been 
in  great  distress  in  the  long  hours  as  he  sat  in  his  cell, 
the  Lord  appeared  to  him  with  the  assurance  that  he 
would  witness  for  Him  in  Rome.  Twice  besides  Paul  had 
a  similar  experience — once  in  Corinth^'*  and  once  in  the 
storm  on  the  sea  ;^^  but  out  of  this  hope  next  morning  de- 
veloped that  forty  men  had  formed  a  conspiracy  to  lynch 
him.  Several  times  before  similar  conspiracies  had  been 
planned  against  him,^^  but  Paul's  nephew,  who  Alford 
suggested  may  have  been  a  student  in  Jerusalem  at  this 
time,  hearing  of  the  conspiracy,  gained  admittance  to  the 
castle  and  told  his  uncle,  who  directed  him  to  make  it 
known  to  Captain  Lysias,  from  which  it  appears  Paul 
recognized  him  as  both  his  friend  and  a  just  official. 
Forthwith  under  a  guard  of  seventy  cavalrymen,  two  hun- 
dred foot  soldiers  and  two  hundred  spearmen — in  all 
four  hundred  and  seventy — Captain  Lysias,  hurried  Paul 
away  in  the  night  from  the  castle  in  Jerusalem,  somewhat 
as  Pilate  sent  Jesus  to  Herod  to  get  rid  of  the  responsibil- 
ity. On  reaching  Antipatris,  somewhere  in  the  plain  of 
Sharon  and  between  thirty  and  forty  miles  from  Jerusalem, 
the  soldiers  and  spearmen  returned  to  the  city,  and,  un- 


*Acts  18 :  9,  10.      '°Acts  27  :  23.      '"Acts  9 :  24,  29 ;  20 :  3,  19. 


386  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

der  the  guard  of  the  cavalrymen,  Paul  was  brought  to 
Governor  Felix  at  Caesarea,  then  in  the  seventh  year  of 
his  procuratorship,  who  placed  him  in  one  of  the  prison 
rooms  of  Herod's  palace,  awaiting  his  trial. 

So  bitter  was  the  feeling  against  apostates  from  Juda- 
ism that  even  Philo  vainly  attempted  to  justify  the  prac- 
tice of  lynching.  It  is  surprising  that  so  pious  a  man  as 
he  should  have  said :  ''It  is  highly  proper  that  all  who  have 
a  zeal  for  virtue  should  have  a  right  to  punish  with  their 
own  hands  without  delay  those  who  are  guilty  of  this 
crime ;  not  carrying  them  before  a  court  of  judicature,  or 
the  council,  or,  in  short,  before  any  magistrate,  but  they 
should  indulge  the  abhorrence  of  evil,  the  love  of  God, 
which  they  entertain,  by  inflicting  immediate  punishment 
on  such  impious  apostates,  regarding  themselves  for  the 
time  as  all  things,  senators,  judges,  prsetors,  sergeants,  ac- 
cusers, witnesses,  the  laws,  the  people,  so  that,  hindered  by 
nothing,  they  may  without  fear,  and  with  all  promptitude, 
espouse  the  cause  of  piety.'' 

Paul's  Defense  Before  Felix  (24). — From  a  slave  in 
the  household  of  Agrippina,  the  wife  of  the  Emperor 
Claudius,  and  the  mother  of  the  Emperor  Nero,  Felix 
rose  to  be  the  procurator  of  Judaea,  where  he  was  in  his 
seventh  year  when  Paul  made  his  defense  before  him.  He 
suppressed  seditions  and  often  maintained  peace,  but  his 
administration  was  far  from  being  free  from  corruption. 
He  had  taken  to  his  palace  through  the  designs  of  the 
Cyprian  sorcerer  Simon,  the  beautiful  Jewess  Drusilla. 
just  twenty  years  old,  who  was  the  daughter  of  Herod 
Agrippa  I,  the  murderer  of  the  apostle  James,  and  who 
was  the  wife  of  Azizus,  prince  of  Emesa.  Of  Felix  Tacitus 
said,  "He  exercised  the  authority  of  a  king  with  the  dis- 
position of  a  slave  in  all  manner  of  cruelty  and  lust." 


Acts  21 :  17  to  28:  31.  387 

Five  days  after  Paul's  arrival  in  Csesarea  the  high  priest 
Ananias  and  other  representatives  from  the  Sanhedrin, 
with  the  Roman  attorney  Tertullus,  who  had  been  em- 
ployed to  prosecute  the  case,  appeared  before  Governor 
Felix's  court,  and  the  attorney  charged  Paul,  (i)  with 
being  the  leader  of  insurrection  among  Jews  throughout 
the  empire,  which  was  punishable  with  death  according  to 
the  Roman  law  ;  and  (2)  with  being  a  ringleader  of  the  sect 
of  the  Nazarenes,  the  only  time  this  expression  is  used  in 
the  New  Testament  with  this- meaning,  which  was  the  term 
applied  by  the  Jews  to  the  Christians,  and  this  was  a  mat- 
ter to  be  settled  by  the  Mosaic  Law ;  and  (3)  with  profan- 
ing the  Temple,  which  was  an  offense  against  both  the  Ro- 
man and  the  Jewish  laws,  since  the  Romans  pledged  pro- 
tection to  the  Jews  in  their  worship. 

The  Jewish  witnesses  testified  that  these  things  were 
true,  after  which  Paul  made  his  defense,  in  which  he  de- 
nied in  detail  the  charges  of  sedition  among  the  Jews  and 
profanation  of  the  Temple,  but  confessed  that  he  belonged 
to  "the  Way  which  they  called  a  sect,"  and  affirmed  that 
that  Way  was  the  fulfilment  of  both  the  Law  and  the 
Prophets,  and  as  Conybeare  and  Howson  suggested,  Paul 
claimed  for  the  sect  of  the  Nazarenes  the  same  toleration 
that  was  extended  by  the  Roman  law  to  other  Jewish 
sects  and  to  other  nations  in  the  worship  of  their  gods. 

Ananias  and  his  party  being  Sadducees,  Paul  again 
tactfully  raised  the  issue  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead 
to  show  that  sectarian  jealousy  controlled  the  opposition 
against  him.  Felix  knew  something  of  the  Christian  re- 
ligion, and  also  appeared  to  recognize  that  Paul  was 
guilty  of  no  crime,  but  he  dodged  the  responsibility  of  de- 
cision on  the  pretense  that  he  wanted  to  hear  Captain 
Lysias'  testimony,  and  there  is  no  evidence  that  he  sent  for 


388  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

the  Captain,  or  ever  intended  to.  While  he  appeared  to  be 
afraid  to  set  Paul  free,  he  gave  him  much  liberty  and  al- 
lowed his  friends  to  visit  him. 

Once  he  invited  Paul  to  come  before  him  and  Drusilla, 
when  the  apostle,  instead  of  pleading  the  justice  of  his 
cause  and  asking  for  freedom,  preached  a  sermon  on 
righteousness,  self-control  and  judgment  with  such  power 
and  personal  application  that  Felix  was  terrified.  After- 
wards, however,  he  talked  with  Paul  frequently,  hoping 
to  secure  money  from  him  for  his  release,  but  no  such  dis- 
honorable course  appealed  to  the  apostle,  and  after  Paul's 
spending  two  years  as  a  prisoner  in  the  Csesarean  palace, 
Porcius  Festus  succeeded  Felix  as  procurator  of  Judasa. 
Felix  left  Paul  in  prison,  hoping  to  gain  favor  with  the 
Jews,  and  a  tradition  says  it  was  done  at  the  wish  of  Dru- 
silla. Felix  was  called  by  Nero  to  Rome  to  answer  the 
charges  from  the  Jews  for  some  misgovernment  in  the 
province,  and  later  he  was  banished  into  Gaul,  where  he 
died.  Drusilla  and  her  son,  who  bore  the  name  of 
Agrippa,  perished  in  the  eruption  of  Mount  Vesuvius  in 
the  reign  of  Titus,  when  Pompeii  and  Herculaneum  were 
buried  in  the  burning  lava. 

Paul's  Defense  Before  Festus  (25:1-12). — In  the 
second  year  of  Nero's  reign  he  appointed  Porcius  Festus  to 
the  procuratorship  of  Judasa.  The  new  governor  appeared 
to  be  an  impartial  and  honorable  official,  but  cold  and 
skeptical.  The  high  priest  Ananias  had  been  assassinated, 
but  his  successor  in  the  high  priesthood,  Ismael,  and  the 
leading  Jews  were  still  desirous  of  killing  Paul,  and  they 
formed  another  plot  to  lynch  him,  but  Governor  Festus 
apparently  unknowingly  defeated  their  plans  by  requiring 
them  to  come  to  his  court  in  Caesarea  for  the  trial  of  the 
case.     This  was  done,  and  their  charges  were  the  same  as 


Acts  21:17  to  28:31.  389 

in  the  trial  before  Felix,  namely,  guilty  of  apostasy  from 
the  Jewish  Law,  of  profaning  the  Temple  and  of  insurrec- 
tion against  Caesar,  and  Paul  denied  them  all ;  but  Festus, 
wishing  to  ingratiate  himself  with  his  new  subjects,  asked 
Paul  if  he  were  willing  to  transfer  his  trial  to  Jerusalem, 
when  the  apostle,  exercising  the  right  of  his  Roman  cit- 
izenship, appealed  to  Caesar,  which  immediately  ended  the 
case  in  Judsea,  and  at  the  same  time  it  doubtless  threw 
some  reproach  upon  Festus,  who  ought  to  have  released 
Paul. 

Paul's  Defense  Before  Agrippa  (25:13-26:32). — 
As  Herod  the  Great,  who  gave  the  order  for  the  murder  of 
the  infants  in  Bethlehem,  was  the  first,  so  Agrippa  II,  or, 
as  he  described  himself,  Marcus  Julius  Agrippa,  before 
whom  Paul  made  his  last  defense,  was  the  last  of  the 
Herod  dynasty.  He  was  the  son  of  Herod,  who  murdered 
the  apostle  James,  the  nephew  of  Herod,  who  murdered 
John  the  Baptist,  and  the  great  grandson  of  Herod,  who 
sought  to  kill  Jesus  in  his  infancy.  When  only  seventeen 
years  old  he  was  first  made  king  of  Chalcis,  a  district  east 
of  the  Jordan,  and  later  he  gave  up  Chalcis  and  received 
the  tetrarchies  of  Philip  and  Lysanias,  the  district  north 
and  east  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  with  the  title  of  king.  Ber- 
nice,  the  older  sister  of  Drusilla,  and  said  to  have  been 
equally  beautiful,  was  the  sister  and  wife  of  Agrippa,  and 
it  was  reported  that  she  was  also  for  a  while  the  wife 
of  Titus,  who,  on  returning  to  Rome  after  the  death  of 
Vespasian,  refused  to  recognize  her. 

According  to  the  custom  of  neighboring  princes, 
Agrippa  and  Bernice  visited  Porcius  Festus  at  his  palace 
in  Caesarea  on  his  appointment  to  the  procuratorship. 
Partly  to  gain  information  from  Agrippa  concerning  the 
doctrines  of  the  Nazarenes,  for  Agrippa  from  a  child  had 


390  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

been  instructed  in  the  Jewish  rehgion  and  the  Emperor 
Claudius  had  appointed  him  as  the  poHtical  head  of  the 
Jerusalem  Temple,  and  partly  as  entertainment  for  his 
royal  guest,  Governor  Festus  commanded  that  Paul  be 
brought  into  the  reception-room  of  the  palace  for  a  hear- 
ing, and  at  the  same  time  he  had  present  the  mihtary 
tribunes  and  the  leading  citizens  of  Caesarea.  Festus' 
introduction  of  the  subject  to  Agrippa  betrayed  an  ig- 
norance of  both  Jesus  and  the  principles  of  His  religion, 
but  there  was  some  excuse  for  this,  masmuch  as  Chris- 
tianity was  new  and  Festus  had  lived  many  miles  away 
from  the  country  of  its  origin.  It  was  presumably  the 
most  dignified  assembly  that  Paul  had  ever  faced,  and, 
aside  from  its  being  an  opportunity  to  proclaim  Jesus  be- 
fore a  governor  and  a  king  as  He  prophesied  to  His  apos- 
tles,^" there  could  be  no  significance  to  his  address  other 
than  securing  a  letter  of  kindly  introduction  from  Gov- 
ernor Festus  to  the  Emperor  Nero,  which  doubtless  influ- 
enced kind  treatment  to  Paul  while  in  the  Roman  prison 
and  later  his  release.  It  was  not  a  trial,  for  Paul  had 
already  appealed  to  Ciesar. 

Of  the  five  defenses  this  was  the  most  magnificent,  and 
it  will  always  be  classed  among  the  greatest  orations  of 
the  world.  Opening  with  a  graceful  introduction — 26 : 
2,  3,  he  told,  (i)  of  his  early  life  being  identified  with  the 
Shammai  wing  of  the  Pharisee  party,  which  was  far  more 
rigid  than  the  school  of  Hillel,  to  which  belonged  such 
liberal  men  as  Nicodemus,  Joseph  of  Arimathaea  and 
Gamaliel,  and  that  his  imprisonment  was  due  to  the  malice 
of  the  Sadducees,  who  did  not  believe  in  the  resurrection 
of  the  dead — 4-8;  and  (2)  he  related  his  former  position 
of  a  persecutor  of  the  Christians  and,  as  a  member  of  the 


'Mt.  10 :  i8. 


Acts  21 :  17  to  28:  31.  391 

Sanhedrin,  voting  for  their  death — 9-1 1;  and  (3)  he  re- 
lated his  conversion  to  Christianity,  when  he  came  face  to 
face  with  Jesus  and  received  his  commission  as  an  apostle 
to  the  Gentiles — 12-18;  and  (4)  he  affirmed  his  obedience 
to  the  heavenly  command  in  preaching  Christ  at  Damas- 
cus, at  Jerusalem,  in  Judrea  and  to  the  Gentiles  until  ar- 
rested by  his  countrymen  in  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem, 
since  which  time  he  had  been  in  bonds,  but  nevertheless 
he  had  continued  to  testify  that  Christ  must  have  suffered 
and  been  raised  from  the  dead  to  give  light  to  all  people — 

19-23- 

It  was  a  great  moment.  Governor  Festus  interrupted 
him,  and  then  as  if  aware  that  he  had  brought  no  convic- 
tion to  the  Pagan  governor,  Paul  appealed  to  Agrippa,who 
responded  by  saying,  "With  but  little  persuasion  thou 
wouldst  fain  make  me  a  Christian."  Years  before  Paul 
wanted  to  put  all  Christians  in  bonds ;  now  he  was  anxious 
that  all  might  be  Christians  as  he  was,  except  the  bonds 
that  made  him  a  Roman  prisoner.  Christ  had  wrought 
wonderful  changes  in  Saul  of  Tarsus. 

Paul's  Voyage  to  Rome  (27:  1-28:  16). — All  things 
were  working,  but  by  strange  circumstances  of  persecu- 
tion, indecision  and  Roman  law,  for  the  fulfilment  of  the 
Lord's  promise  to  Paul  that  he  should  bear  witness  in 
Rome^^  and  for  the  answer  of  Paul's  prayer  to  visit  the 
brethren  in  Rome,  uttered  long  before  his  arrest  in  Je- 
rusalem. 

While  Chinese  mariners  were  navigating  their  vessels 
by  the  compass,  it  had  not  yet  come  into  use  among  the 
Greeks  or  Romans,  and  charts  of  the  sea  were  likewise 
unknown  among  them.  It  was  the  custom  for  ships  to 
keep  in  sight  of  the  land  during  the  day,  hugging  the 

"Acts  23:  II. 


392  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

coast  from  point  to  point,  and  to  be  guided  by  the  stars  at 
night.  Oars  were  used  with  the  sails,  some  vessels  having 
several  thousand  rowers,  that  of  Ptolemseus  Philopator 
having  4000.  Like  his  Master  some  years  before,  Paul 
was  numbered  with  the  transgressors,  for  he,  with  other 
prisoners,  was  put  in  charge  of  Captain  Julius,  who  per- 
haps had  escorted  Governor  Festus  from  Rome  to  Csesa- 
rea,  for  he  was  of  the  Augustan  band,  probably  the  same 
as  the  Italian  band,^^  which  doubtless  formed  a  part  of  the 
imperial  guards. 

They  took  a  ship  of  Adramyttmm,  which  was  a  promi- 
nent city  in  the  Roman  province  of  Asia,  famed  for  its  com- 
merce and  for  exporting  a  highly  esteemed  ointment,  and 
from  where  it  has  been  suggested  Julius  expected  to  cross 
with  his  prisoners  and  soldiers  to  Europe  and  thence  go 
by  land  to  Rome,  which  was  frequently  done.  Aristarchus, 
who  was  with  Paul  in  the  riot  at  Ephesus,  who  accom- 
panied him  to  Jerusalem  and  who  it  has  been  thought  vol- 
untarily shared  Paul's  imprisonments,  was  one  of  the  fel- 
low-passengers. Luke,  who  appears  to  have  been  with 
Paul  throughout  his  imprisonment  at  Caesarea,  where  he 
had  ample  time  for  gathering  material  from  the  apostle 
for  writing  the  third  Gospel,  also  appears  to  have  accom- 
panied him  on  his  voyage,  which  he  described  so  graph- 
ically and  in  such  familiar  use  of  nautical  terms  that  it  is 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  pen  pictures  on  the  inspired 
pages. 

Leaving  the  harbor  of  Ccesarea  and  bidding  farewell  to 
the  sacred  hills  of  Judrea,  they  first  stopped  at  Sidon,  the 
most  ancient  of  the  Phoenician  cities  and  famous  for  its 
traffic  in  brass,  cloths  and  slaves.  Its  harbor  was  protected 
by  a  ledge  of  rock  lying  off  from  the  mainland,  and  the 


'Acts  10:  I. 


Acts  21 :  17  to  28:  31.  393 

ships  of  Sidon,  with  those  of  Tyre,  touched  all  the  ports 
of  the  Mediterranean.  It  was  once  a  great  city,  but  now 
it  has  a  population  of  only  10,000,  and  these  are  mostly 
Arabs,  who  dwell  among  the  beautiful  orange  trees  and 
who  sit  beside  its  water  edge  where  the  banks  are  covered 
with  violets,  so  that  Sidon  may  still  be  called  "the  flowery 
city,"  as  it  was  by  the  Greek  poet  Dionysius.  Captain 
Julius  kindly  allowed  Paul  to  go  ashore  for  a  while  to  see 
his  friends,  who  composed  the  Church  there. 

Passing  by  the  island  of  Cyprus,  they  next  stopped  at 
Myra,  which  was  one  of  the  great  cities  of  Lycia,  and  later 
became  its  capital.  In  the  fourth  century  Nicholas  was 
the  Christian  bishop  of  this  city,  and  about  him  numerous 
legends  have  been  told.  He  became  the  patron  saint  of 
children,  and  out  of  the  legend  of  his  giving  presents  to 
the  children  on  the  eve  of  his  festival,  which  was  Decem- 
ber 6th,  the  idea  passed  to  Christmas  eve,  and  his  name  has 
become  a  household  word  of  Christendom,  under  the 
Dutch  term  Santa  Claus.  At  Myra,  upon  the  order  of 
Julius,  the  whole  party  was  transferred  to  a  ship  of  Alex- 
andria, sailing  for  Italy. 

With  difficulty  they  came  to  Cnidus,  which  was  a  city  of 
Caria,  situated  on  a  peninsula  reaching  far  out  into  the 
^gean  Sea,  which  formed  the  dividing  line  between  the 
southern  and  w^estern  coasts  of  Asia  Minor.  Passing 
along  by  the  rocky  but  beautiful  island  of  Crete,  famous 
for  its  one  hundred  cities,  and  where  Tacitus  said  the  Jews 
had  their  origin,  they  came  to  Salmone,  a  promontory  of 
Crete,  now  called  Cape  Sidero,  where  once  stood  a  temple 
to  Athene,  and  then  to  Fair  Havens,  which  was  a  small 
bay  on  the  coast  of  Crete,  and  about  five  miles  away  was 
the  city  of  Lasea,  which  is  now  in  ruins. 

The  Day  of  Atonement,  called  "the  Fast,"  observed  on 


394  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

the  loth  of  the  seventh  month,  Tisri,  corresponding  some- 
what to  our  October,  was  passed,  indicating  that  it  was 
about  the  time  of  equinox ;  and,  against  the  advice  of  Paul 
and  on  that  of  the  captain  of  the  ship,  they  sought  to  reach 
the  harbor  of  Phoenix,  somewhere  on  the  southern  coast 
of  Crete,  and  winter  there ;  but  in  the  effort  to  make  this, 
the  ship  was  caught  in  a  violent  wind,  called  Euraquilo, 
meaning  east-northeast,  and  for  the  next  two  weeks  they 
were  at  the  mercy  of  the  storm,  which  drove  them  near  the 
island  of  Cauda,  which  lay  off  the  coast  of  Crete,  and 
there,  in  calmer  waters,  they  undergirded  the  ship,  passing 
ropes  under  it  and  over  its  deck  at  right  angles  to  its 
length,  in  order  to  keep  all  parts  of  the  vessel  in  place. 
Besides  the  storm,  they  feared  the  quicksands  oft*  the 
African  coast,  which  would  mean  a  sure  shipwreck  and 
the  death  of  all  on  board.  Next  day  they  threw  the  freight 
overboard,  and  the  day  following  the  furniture.  In  this 
desperate  strait  an  angel  appeared  to  Paul,  assuring  him 
that  he  should  stand  before  Caesar  and  that  all  on  the  ship 
should  become  believers  in  Christ  through  him.  Said 
Matthew  Henry,  "Paul  knows  not  where  he  is  himself; 
yet  God's  angel  knows  where  to  find  him  out." 

On  the  fourteenth  night  of  tlie  storm,  when  they  were 
in  the  Sea  of  Adria,  which  includes  all  those  waters  be- 
tween Crete  and  Sicily,  they  discovered  that  they  were 
nearing  land,  perhaps  by  the  noise  of  the  breakers,  which 
was  confirmed  by  sounding.  Towards  the  break  of  day 
and  in  the  midst  of  the  raging  storm  Paul  besought  them 
to  break  their  fourteen  days'  fast,  and  assured  them  by 
the  testimony  of  the  angel  that  none  should  be  lost,  where- 
upon he  gave  thanks  to  God,  and  the  two  hundred  and 
seventy-six  men,  including  the  crew  and  passengers,  ate 
something,  presenting  a  picture  of  rare  beauty — the  raging 


Acts  21 :  ly  to  28:  31.  395 

sea,  the  first  gray  streak  of  the  morning,  when  all  was  still 
dark,  disheartened  men  taking  hope  and  Paul  and  his 
companions  as  calm  as  though  they  were  riding  on  the 
gentle  waves  of  an  inland  lake.  The  consciousness  of 
God's  keepership  amid  the  storms  of  this  human  life  is 
worth  more  than  anything  that  this  world  can  give. 

Under  the  light  of  the  next  morning  they  made  for  the 
shore,  but  the  vessel  running  aground,  the  violence  of  the 
waves  began  to  break  the  stern,  and  the  hard-hearted 
soldiers  advised  killing  the -prisoners;  but  Captain  Julius, 
desiring  to  save  Paul,  commanded  them  all  to  make  for  the 
shore,  which  they  did,  some  swimming  and  some  on 
broken  pieces  of  the  vessel,  but  all  safely  reached  land. 

The  island  was  Melita,  now  called  Malta,  which  con- 
tains ninety-five  square  miles,  and  is  sixty  miles  from 
Sicily  and  two  hundred  miles  from  the  African  coast.  It 
is  famous  for  its  marble  quarries,  and  its  history  reaches 
back  to  its  first  colonization  by  the  Phoenicians,  and  later 
by  the  Greeks.  First  under  the  rule  of  Carthage,  it  passed 
under  eight  other  powers,  and  since  1800  it  has  been  a  part 
of  England's  dominion.  One  of  the  greatest  sieges  in 
history  occurred  there  in  1565,  when  the  Turks,  in  a 
futile  attempt  to  take  it,  lost  30,000  of  their  best  troops  out 
of  an  army  of  40,000,  while  the  army  of  the  defenders  was 
reduced  from  9000  to  600. 

It  has  had  a  Christian  population  from  the  earliest  time, 
perhaps  from  the  planting  of  Paul,  who,  with  the  others 
in  the  shipwreck,  was  kindly  treated  by  the  inhabitants, 
who  were  Pagans.  Paul  was  as  ready  to  gather  wood  to 
make  a  fire  for  the  comfort  of  the  shivering  men  in  their 
wet  clothes  as  to  heal  the  father  of  Publius,  who  was  the 
chief  of  the  island.  Jesus  had  said,  **They  shall  take  up 
serpents     .     .     .     and  they  shall  lay  hands  on  the  sick, 


396  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

and  they  shall  recover/'-^  which  was  the  last  recorded  ful- 
filment in  the  Scriptures  of  this  promise. 

After  three  months  they  embarked  on  one  of  the  Alex- 
andrian fleet  of  imperial  transports  carrying  grain  from 
Egypt  to  Rome.  The  vessel  was  named  Dioscuri,  meaning 
"the  twin  brothers,"  bearing  images  of  Castor  and  Pol- 
lux, the  twin  sons  of  Jupiter,  who  were  the  patrons  of  the 
sailors.  They  first  stopped  for  three  days  at  Syracuse, 
which  was  situated  on  the  west  coast  of  Sicily,  and  it  was 
for  years  one  of  the  most  famous  and  magnificent  of  the 
Greek  colonies,  and  at  this  time  it  was  a  Roman  colony  of 
distinction.  For  a  day  they  stopped  at  Rhegium,  now 
called  Reggio,  which  was  an  ancient  Greek  colony  on  the 
extremity  of  Italy,  and  for  several  centuries  it  was  a  great 
city ;  even  in  Paul's  time  it  was  a  flourishing  town,  famous 
for  the  worship  of  "the  twin  gods,"  because  of  the  danger- 
ous navigation  of  its  waters,  due  to  the  strong  current  in 
the  strait  of  Messina. 

The  Alexandrian  ship  finally  cast  anchor  at  Piiteoli, 
now  called  Pozzuoli,  which  was  the  commercial  port  of 
Italy,  situated  on  what  is  now  the  bay  of  Naples,  and  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Rome.  It  w^as  famous  for 
its  sulphur  springs,  from  which  perhaps  originated  its 
name.  There  Cicero  landed  on  the  return  from  his  exile 
to  Sicily,  and  it  was  the  landing  place  of  Paul  and  his  com- 
panions after  their  long  voyage  of  many  months  from 
Judaea.  They  spent  a  week  with  the  Christians  there,  and 
then  started  overland  for  Rome  by  the  famous  Appian 
military  highway.  A  company  of  Christians  came  as  far 
as  the  Market  of  A p pins,  which  was  forty-three  miles  from 
Rome,  to  meet  Paul  and  his  companions.  There  they 
doubtless  rested  and  changed  horses,  and  about  ten  miles 


="Mk.  t6  :  18. 


Acts  21 :  17  to  28:31.  397 

further,  at  the  Three  Taverns,  which  was  doubtless  a  simi- 
lar stopping  place  of  three  hotels,  another  company  of 
Christians  had  come  out  to  meet  them,  and  they  all  ac- 
companied them  into  Rome. 

Paul's  Imprisonment  in  Rome  (28:  17-31). — While 
many  of  its  streets  were  narrow,  irregular  and  dirty,  Au- 
gustus began  to  make  Rome  the  most  magnificent  city  of 
the  world,  with  its  temples,  palaces,  commercial  buildings 
and  great  aqueducts.  More  than  a  million  and  a  half 
people  lived  on  its  seven  hills,  and  all  the  languages  of  the 
world  might  be  heard  within  its  walls.  It  was  the  city  of 
the  gods.  Poets  and  orators  called  it  "the  golden  Rome," 
"the  queen  city."  The  eyes  of  the  whole  empire  turned 
towards  that  "epitome  of  the  world." 

The  first  Jews  taken  there  formed  a  Jewish  colony  in  a 
quarter  of  the  city,  which  came  to  be  called  Ghetto,  mean- 
ing "Egypt."  This  was  little  more  than  sixty  years  before 
Christ,  when,  at  the  order  of  Pompey,  who  was  in  Syria 
with  his  Roman  army,  Aristobulus,  a  contestant  for  the 
Maccabaean  throne  at  Jerusalem,  and  other  Jews  were  sent 
as  captives  to  the  imperial  city.  Before  Paul's  conversion 
to  Christianity  there  was  a  Christian  Church  in  Rome, 
doubtless  planted  there  by  the  Jews  from  Rome  who  were 
visiting  Jerusalem  at  Pentecost,  when  the  Holy  Spirit 
descended  for  His  mighty  work,  to  convict  the  world  of 
sin,  righteousness  and  judgment.  Paul  had  long  desired 
to  visit  there;  he  had  prayed  for  it;  he  had  written  the 
Christians  there  and  had  asked  them  to  join  with  him  in 
praying  that  he  might  be  permitted  to  preach  the  Gospel 
there;  and  the  Lord  had  promised  him  that  he  should  go 
there.  The  day  had  come  and  Paul  was  in  Rome.  What 
history  surrounded  him !  Over  what  historic  paths  he  had 
carried  the  Gospel  message — Antioch,  Ephesus,  Corinth, 


398  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Athens  and  other  far-famed  fields !  His  three  tours  took 
him  in  the  midst  of  the  richest  history  in  the  world,  and 
at  last  he  delivered  his  message  to  the  citizens  of  the 
proudest  city  of  that  century.  Every  step  in  his  advance 
was  in  the  face  of  persecution  and  the  motive  was  "the 
love  of  Christ  constraineth." 

But  the  conditions  of  his  entrance  into  Rome  were  not 
as  he  expected  nor  desired.  Instead  of  being  free  to  go 
about  the  city  and  into  the  synagogues  and  even  into  the 
Forum  with  his  Gospel  message,  he  was  in  bonds  and,  as 
a  Roman  prisoner,  he  was  awaiting  trial  before  Caesar. 
These  conditions,  however,  did  not  discourage  him.  He 
called  the  leading  Jews  together  and  explained  the  cir- 
cumstances of  his  imprisonment,  enlisting  their  sympa- 
thies in  arousing  the  common  hope  of  Israel,  and  they  de- 
sired him  to  tell  them  of  "this  sect"  which  is  "everywhere 
spoken  against,"  and  on  his  presentation  of  the  Gospel 
some  believed  and  some  did  not.  Paul  abode  in  his  own 
hired  house,  chained  to  a  Roman  soldier,  who  was  changed 
perhaps  every  three  hours,  and  from  this  pulpit  for  two 
years  he  continued  to  preach  Christ  "with  all  boldness, 
none  forbidding  him." 

Among  his  companions  during  this  period  were  Timo- 
thy, Aristarchus,  Epaphras,  Tychicus,  Mark  and  Luke. 
Demas,  through  his  love  of  the  world,  became  tired  of 
such  circumstances  and  deserted  him.  The  letter  of  Fes- 
tus  and  the  supplementary  report  of  Julius  doubtless  influ- 
enced kind  treatment,  and  the  prosecutors  not  appearing, 
after  something  over  two  years  Paul  was  given  his  free- 
dom, but  during  that  time  he  preached  constantly  and 
wrote  Epistles  to  the  Churches.  The  saints  at  Ephesus 
and  Colossae  were  cheered  by  his  messages;  he  wrote 
Philemon  in  behalf  of  Onesimus ;  receiving  an  oitering 


Acts  21 :  17  to  28:  31.  399 

from  the  Church  at  Philippi  by  the  hands  of  their  minister, 
Epaphroditus,  he  wrote  them  an  Epistle,  in  which  he  said : 
*'Nozv  I  zvould  have  you  knozv,  brethren,  that  the  things 
which  happened  unto  me  have  fallen  out  rather  unto  the 
progress  of  the  Gospel;  so  that  my  bonds  became  manifest 
in  Christ  throughout  the  whole  Praetorian  guard  and  to 
all  the  rest;  and  that  most  of  the  brethren  in  the  Lord, 
being  confident  through  my  bonds,  are  more  abundantly 
bold  to  speak  the  Word  of  God  without  fear."-^ 

"What  the  story  of  Joseph  is  in  the  Old  Testament,'' 
said  Lyman  Abbott,  "that  is  the  story  of  Paul's  voyage 
to  Rome  in  the  New  Testament — a  striking  illustration  of 
the  truth  and  the  lucihod  of  Divine  providence..  It  had 
been  Paul's  earnest  prayer  that  he  might  be  permitted  to 
visit  the  Christian  brethren  at  Rome.--  Many  obstacles 
prevented ;  among  others,  the  length  and  expense  of  the 
journey.  God  provides  carriage  without  cost;  an  escort 
which  ensures  protection  from  assault  by  the  inimical 
Jews ;  brings  him  into  dangers  vv^hich  call  forth  the  exhi- 
bition of  his  noblest  qualities  of  patience,  endurance,  cour- 
age and  cheerfulness — qualities  appreciated  readily  by 
those  who  did  not  comprehend  the  faith  which  was  their 
source;  thus  introduces  him  into  Rome  without  an  ac- 
cuser or  an  accusation,  and  with  the  friendly  countenance 
of  the  Roman  centurion,  who,  if  Julius  Priscus,  was  a 
person  of  some  influence  and  consequence  in  Rome ;  as  a 
result,  Paul  had  larger  liberty  of  preaching  the  Gospel  to 
both  Jew  and  Gentile  as  a  prisoner  in  Rome  than  as  a 
freeman  in  Jerusalem,  his  very  bonds  aiding  to  the  more 
effective  preaching  of  the  Gospel  in  the  Roman  camp 
and  to  the  servants  of  C?esar.-^  whom,  as  a  Jew  not  offi- 
cially sent  to  Rome,  he  could  not  have  hoped  to  reach. 


=^'Phil.  I  :  12- [4.     '=Ro.  I  :  9-13.     '^Phil.  i :  12-18. 


400  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

Thus  all  things — the  mob  at  Jerusalem,  the  unjust  Felix, 
the  irresolute  Festus,  the  infamous  Agrippa,  the  tempest, 
the  bonds — work  together  for  his  good  and  for  the  promo- 
tion of  that  work  to  which  he  had  consecrated  his  whole 
life.  The  fullness  of  his  trust,  the  restfulness  of  his  soul 
in  God,  in  the  irksome  period  of  enforced  inaction  during 
the  long  imprisonment  in  Csesarea,  under  the  dangers  in- 
volved before  the  judgment-seat,  first  of  Felix,  then  of 
Festus,  and  throughout  the  voyage  and  shipwreck,  in  which 
he,  the  prisoner,  becomes  the  leader  and,  as  it  were,  the 
captain  of  all  there  are  with  him,  exemplify  the  power  and 
value  of  the  Christian's  trust  in  times  of  darkness  and 
danger." 

Miracles  in  Acts.  —  ''These  signs  shall  accompany 
them"-"^  was  the  assurance  of  Jesus  to  His  apostles,  and 
the  book  of  Acts  is  a  confirmation  of  that  promise.  Not 
including  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost  and  its  immediate  results,-"'  and  the  household 
of  Cornelius  with  its  results,^^  nor  the  miraculous  power 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  given  by  the  apostles  and  the  results 
following,^^  there  are  sixteen  miracles  recorded  in  the 
book  of  Acts  as  follows : 

(i)  The  man  in  Jerusalem  who  had  been  for  forty 
years  unable  to  zvalk  cured  by  Peter  and  John  (3:  i-io; 
4:7-22)  ;  (2)  death  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira  in  Jerusa- 
lem (5:1-11):  (3)  the  shadow  of  Peter  curing  the  sick 
in  Jerusalem  (5:  15,  16)  ;  (4)  Peter  and  John  delivered 
from  prison  in  Jerusalem  by  an  angel  (5:19-26);  (5) 
Paul  cured  of  blindness  in  Damascus  by  the  touch  of  Ana- 
nias (9:  17,  18)  ;  (6)  Aineas  at  Lydda,  who  had  been  sick 
zvith  palsy  for  eight  years,  cured  by  Peter  (9:32-35); 
(7)  Tabitha  at  Joppa  raised  from  the  dead  by  Peter  (9: 


'"Mk.  16:  17.     ^\cts  2.      '"Acts  10.     '^\cls  8,  19. 


Acts  21 :  17  TO  28:  31.  401 

36-43)  ;  (8)  Peter  delivered  from  prison  in  Jerusalem  by 
an  angel  (12  :  5-11)  ;  (9)  Herod  Agrippa  smitten  to  death 
at  Cccsarea  by  an  angel  (12:23)  ;  (10)  Ely  mas,  the  sor- 
cerer at  Paphos,  smitten  zvith  blindness  by  Paul,  it  being 
the  only  miracle  wrought  by  Paid  to  the  injury  of  anyone 
(13:6-12)  ;  (11)  a  man  at  Lystra,  zvho  had  been  a  crip- 
ple from  his  birth,  cured  by  Paul  (14:  8-10);  (12)  a  maid 
at  Philippi,  zvho  had  a  spirit  of  divination,  cured  by  Paid 
(16:  16-18)  ;  (13)  an  earthquake  caused  and  the  prison 
doors  opened  at  Philippi  by-  the  prayers  of  Paid  and  Silas 
(16:  25-29)  ;  (14)  many  zvere  cured  in  Ephesus  by  hand- 
kerchiefs or  aprons  being  carried  from  Paul  to  the  sick 
(19:  II,  12)  ;  (15)  Paid  raised  Eutychus  from  the  dead 
at  Troas  (20:  7-12)  ;  (16)  Paid  cured  the  father  of  Pub- 
lius  on  the  island  of  Melita  (28:7-10),  and  many  other 
signs  and  wonders  were  done  by  the  apostles-^  and 
Stephen-^  and  PhiHp.^^ 

Angel  Appearances  in  Acts. — Both  the  Old  and  the 
New  Testament  open  with  the  appearance  of  angels,  and 
throughout  the  pages  of  both  books  these  heavenly  mes- 
sengers are  constantly  hovering  over  our  fallen  race  and 
speaking  to  men  in  the  name  of  God.  Though  now  un- 
seen with  the  human  eye,  they  are  still  our  guardians,  for, 
said  the  writer  of  the  letter  to  the  Hebrews,  *'Are  they  not 
all  ministering  spirits,  sent  forth  to  do  service  for  the  sake 
of  them  that  shall  inherit  salvation  p"^^ 

In  the  book  of  Acts  there  are  seven  appearances,  as 
follows :  ( I )  At  the  ascension  of  Jesus  on  the  Mount 
of  Olives;'^-  (2)  an  angel  opened  the  prison  in  Jerusalem 
and  brought  out  Peter  and  John  and  commanded  them  to 
preach  in  the  Temple  ;^^  (3)  an  angel  commanded  Philip 


'Acts  2  :  43 ;  5  :  12.      '"Acts  8 :  6.       ''Acts  i :  10. 
"Acts  6 :  8.  "Heb.  i :  14.     ''Acts  5  :  12-26. 


402  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

to  go  on  the  way  from  Jerusalem  to  Gaza  in  order  to 
speak  to  the  eunuch;^*  (4)  an  angel  commanded  Cornelius 
at  Csesarea  to  send  for  Peter  to  tell  him  words  whereby  he 
would  be  saved  ;^^  (5)  an  angel  delivered  Peter  from 
prison  in  Jerusalem  ;^^  (6)  an  angel  smote  with  death 
Herod  Agrippa  at  Csesarea;^^  (7)  an  angel  stood  by  Paul 
in  the  night  of  the  storm  on  the  Mediterranean.^^ 

Conversions  in  Acts. — The  greatest  step  in  human  life 
is  turning  to  God.  Beyond  all  others  it  is  the  subject  of 
the  first  importance.  The  book  of  Acts  is  the  book  of  con- 
versions, and  the  simplicity  of  how  this  is  brought  about 
is  best  seen  in  a  careful  study  of  the  following  cases  of  the 
sinner's  turning  to  the  Saviour:  (i)  The  3000  07t  the  day 
of  Pentecost  (2:  37-42)  ;  (2)  the  Samaritans  (8:  5,  12)  ; 
(3)  the  eunuch  (8:26-40);  (4)  Paul  (9:4-19;  22:7- 
16);  (5)  Cornelius  (10:1-8,  21,  22,  44-48;  11:12-14); 
(6)  Lydia  (16:11-15);  (7)  the  jailer  (16:25-34);  (8) 
the  Corinthians  (18:8). 

Discussing  the  conditions  of  pardon  as  presented  in  the 
second  chapter  of  Acts,  the  distinguished  layman,  author 
of  The  ChurcJi  of  Christ,  said:  "The  Gospel  is  now  be- 
fore us  for  the  first  time  in  its  fulness.  We  have  heard  the 
first  discourse  based  upon  its  great  facts,  listened  to  the 
first  inquiry,  'What  must  I  do?'  heard  the  first  command 
given  by  the  authority  of  Christ,  and  witnessed  the  con- 
version of  3000  persons  and  their  baptism  into  the  name 
of  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit.  It  is  evident  from 
the  preceding  narrative,  first,  that  these  persons  heard ; 
second,  that  they  believed ;  third,  that  they  repented ; 
fourth,  that  they  were  baptized ;  fifth,  that  they  received 
the  remission  of  sins  and  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit.    Upon 


*Acts  8 :  26.  ''Acts  12  :  5-1 1.      ''Acts  27 :  23-26. 

'Acts  10 :  3-8 ;  11:  14.     '"Acts  12  :  23. 


Acts  21 :  17  to  28:  31.  403 

these  conditions  they  became  subjects  of  Christ's  King- 
dom. They  entered  His  Church  and  are  the  first  recorded 
who  'continued  steadfastly  in  the  apostles'  doctrine  and 
fellowship,  and  in  breaking  of  bread,  and  in  prayers.'  " 

Faith  in  Jesus  Christ  is  better  than  belief  in  doctrines 
about  Him ;  genuine  repentance  is  better  than  the  form  of 
it ;  obedience  in  baptism  is  better  than  the  discussion  of  it, 
and  the  remission  of  our  sins  is  God's  first  expression  of 
pity  for  us  as  individuals;  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
God's  best  seal  of  our  redemption,  and  holy,  unwordly 
living  is  our  best  evidence  of  reconciliation  with  the 
heavenly  Father. 

"Salvation  is  the  noblest  song; 
O  may  it  dwell  on  every  tongue, 

And  all  repeat,  Amen  ! 
The  Lord  has  come  from  Heaven  to  earth 
To  give  His  people  second  birth, 
And  make  them  one  again." 

Visions  in  Acts. — In  the  prophecy  of  Joel,  quoted  by 
Peter  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  "And  your  young  men 
shall  see  visions,"^^  there  are  found  several  fulfilments  in 
the  boo"k  of  Acts,  as  follows:  (i)  The  vision  of  Ananias 
at  Damascus  concerning  Paul  (9:10-16);  (2)  Paul's 
vision  in  Damascus  concerning  Ananias  (9:  12-19)  >  (3) 
the  vision  of  Cornelius  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  at 
Ccesarea  (10:3-8);  (4)  Peter's  vision  at  noon  on  the 
housetop  in  Joppa  (10:  9-16,  30-33;  n  :  1-18)  ;  (5)  Paul's 
vision  in  Troas  of  a  man  in  Macedonia  (16:9),  and  (6) 
Paul's  vision  in  Corinth  zvhen  the  Lord  commanded  him 
to  preach  with  boldness  ( 18:9). 

While  we  may  not  be  permitted  to  share  in  like  visions, 
yet  all  believers  should  live  in  the  light  of  great  distances 

'^oel  2 :  28. 


404  Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts. 

and  see  all  things,  not  under  the  flickering  light  of  reason 
or  the  little  lamp  of  our  experience,  but  under  the  light 
of  God,  who  through  the  lips  of  the  Psalmist  said,  "In  Thy 
light  shall  we  see  light.  ""^^  To  see  this  world  aright — our- 
selves and  conditions  about  us — we  must  see  all  things  in 
the  light  of  eternity,  for  only  under  the  heavenly  light  can 
we  see  things  as  they  really  are. 

Thou,  O  God,  art  my  Father.  Through  the  blood  of 
Jesus  Thy  Son  and  my  Brother  I  claim  Thy  kinship.  It  is 
all  I  have ;  but  it  is  my  wealth  of  hope  and  peace  that  some 
day  shall  bring  me  to  see  Thy  glory.  I  thank  Thee  that  I 
have  seen  the  life  of  Paul  under  the  touch  of  Thy  incor- 
ruptible pen.  What  heights  Thou  didst  give  to  his  char- 
acter which  once  was  stained  with  sin  like  mine !  I  bless 
Thee  that  I  know  that  the  same  Spirit  who  fashioned  Him 
is  at  His  more  difficult  task  of  fashioning  me ;  but  I  know 
Thou  failest  not,  neither  dost  Thou  know  discouragement. 
Let  me  not  be  baffled  by  circumstances  that  I  do  not  under- 
stand, for  so  long  as  I  delight  in  Thee,  Thou  wilt  give  me 
the  desires  of  my  heart.  The  interest  of  Thy  Kingdom 
must  have  precedence  over  all  my  needs,  and  I  wait  in  Thy 
schoolroom  that  I  may  be  taught  to  be  kind  and  heroic,  to 
be  patient  and  persevering,  to  serve  Thee  and  to  see  myself 
as  I  am  and  to  remember  my  kinship  with  Thee  and  with 
all  mankind.  Then  I  shall  always  know  Thee,  whose  I 
am  and  whom  I  serve.    Amen. 


Questions. 


I.  Familiarize  yourself  with  the  passages  of  Scripture  on  the 
page  opposite  the  chapter  on  the  fourth  division.  2.  Give  the  title 
and  limit  of  the  fourth  division.  3.  Name  the  chapters  of  the 
fourth  division.  4.  About  how  many  years  did  Paul  spend  in 
missionary  labors  up  to  the  time  of  his  arrest?  5.  What  the 
charges   against  him   on  his   return  to   Jerusalem?     6.  What  of 


'Psa.  36:  9. 


Acts  21 :  17  to  28:  31.  405 

Paul's  position  on  the  Law?  7.  What  of  the  Old  and  the  New 
Testament  contrasted?  8.  What  of  Paul's  arrest?  9.  What  of 
his  defense  before  the  mob?  10.  What  of  his  defense  before  the 
Sanhedrin?  11.  What  hopeful  assurance  did  the  Lord  give  to 
Paul  the  night  following  (23:11)?  12.  What  of  the  conspiracy 
against  Paul  and  his  removal  to  Caesarea?  13.  What  of  his  de- 
fense before  Felix?  14.  What  of  his  defense  before  Festus?  15. 
What  of  his  defense  before  Agrippa?  16.  What  of  his  voyage  as 
far  as  Myra?  17.  As  far  as  Melita?  18.  Thence  to  Rome? 
19.  What  of  Paul's  reception  and  imprisonment  in  Rome?  20. 
What  the  lesson  of  his  experience  as  compared  with  that  of 
Joseph  of  the  Old  Testament?  21.  Name  and  give  an  acount  of 
the  miracles  in  Acts.  22.  Name  and  give  an  account  of  the  angels' 
appearances  in  Acts.  23.  Give  a  full  account  of  the  conversions  in 
Acts,  naming  what  was  done  by  the  sinner.  24.  What  of  the  vis- 
ions in  Acts?  25.  How  should  the  beHever  in  this  day  live?  26. 
What  is  your  prayer  in  this  study? 


INDEX 


Acts:  PAGE 

book 297 

author  and  date 301 

miracles 400 

angel  appearances 401 

conversions 402 

visions 403 

Abiding  in  Christ 286 

Advent  of  the  Holy  Spirit 309 

Affection  of  Jesus 276 

Annunciation 170 

Anointing  by  Mary 265 

Anointing  by  the  penitent  wom- 
an      191 

Antioch:   church  there 343 

Appearances  of     Jesus: 

(i)  to  Mary  Magdalene 216 

(2)  to  other  women 217 

(3)  to  two  disciples 217 

(4)  to  Peter 219 

(5)  to  ten  apostles 219 

,    (6)   to  eleven  apostles 219 

(7)  to  seven  on  Sea  of  Gali- 

lee     219 

(8)  to    eleven    on    Mount    in 

Galilee 220 

(9)  to    more    than    five    hun- 

dred     220 

(10)  to    His    half-brother 

James 220 

(11)  to  apostles  on  Mount  of 

Olives 220 

(12)  to  Paul 220 

Appreciation  of  the  Scriptures..        1 

Archelaus 41 

Arrest  of  Jesus 105 

Ascension 304 

Asking  in  the  name  of  Jesus...    279 

Baptism  of  Jesus 43 

Barnabas 346 

Believer  is  a  continuation  of  the 

life  of  Jesus 303 

Bethany  and  Bethpage 141 

Bethlehem 172 

Betrothal 35 

Beyond  the  Jordan 89 

Blood  of  Zachariah 96 

Burial  of  Jesus 159 

Caesarea  Philippi 128 

Capernaum 54 

Carpenter 1 24 

Chief  Priests  and  Scribes 151 

Commission  to  the  churches....  221 
Controversy  in   Antioch   and  Je- 
rusalem   351 


PAGE 

Conversion  of  Cornelius 333 

Crucifixion 152 

Crucifixion  of  Jesus 154 

David's  Lord 96 

Dead  burying  the  dead 204 

Decapolis 1 28 

Demons 185 

Divorce 136 

Disciples  first  called  Christians.  336 
Discourses: 

in  the  Temple 261 

on  Good  Shepherd 262 

at  Feast  of  Dedication 264 

on  the  Bread  of  Life 253 

last  public  discourse 266 

last  to  His  apostles 276 

first  Gospel  discourse 311 

second  Gospel  discourse 314 

Education  of  Jesus 257 

Elders 351 

Enrolment 171 

Feast  of  Tabernacles 255 

Jnrst  casting  out  of  the  money- 
changers   23  s 

First  Christian  converts 312 

Friends  of  Jesus 288 

Fruit-bearing 65 

Galilee 53 

Genealogy .35,  178 

Gennesaret 126 

Gold,  frankincense,  etc 39 

Grainfields 186 

Greater  Works 279 

Greatest    in    the    coming    King- 
dom   192 

Half-brothers  of  Jesus 124 

Herod 37 

Herod  Agrippa 338 

His  mother  and  His  brethren..  206 

His  time  and  their  time 256 

History  of  the  Scriptures 5 

Holy  Spirit:   office  and  mission.  281 

Household  conversions 361 

James:  his  martyrdom 338 

Jesus 37 

Jericho 140 

Jerusalem 139 

John  the  Baptist 41 

his  message 42 

beginning  of  his  ministry....  178 

beheading 125 


INDEX 


John:  PAGE 

book 225 

author "8 

Jordan ^^^ 

Judas,  not  Iscariot 284 

Leaven  of  the  Pharisees 207 

Little  children 9° 

Living  water 259 

Lord's  Supper i04 

Luke:  ,^^ 

book ^65 

author  and  date ^^7 

Mark: 

book "7 

author  and  date "9 

Mary's  hymn  of  praise 171 

Massacre  of  the  children 4P 

Matthew: 

book 31 

author  and  date 33 

Matthias 3o8 

Miracles: 

(i)  cured  leper  of  Gennesa- 

ret ••••••      74 

(2)  cured  servant  of   Centu- 

rion  .• .      74 

(3)  cured   Peter's   mother-in- 

law  74 

(4)  calmed  the  tempest 74 

(5)  legion  of  demons 75 

(6)  cured  the  palsied  woman  75 

(7)  cured    the    woman    with 

issue  of  blood 75 

(8)  cured  Jairus'  daughter..      75 

(9)  cured  two  blind  men   at 

Capernaum 76 

(10)  cured  demoniac •      7Q 

(11)  cured  man  with  withered 

hand •••/••;      76 

(12)  cured    blind    and    dumb 

demoniac 7° 

(13)  fed  five  thousand 77 

(14)  walking  on  the  water...  77 

(15)  cured  daughter  of   Syro- 

phcenician 77 

(16)  fed  four  thousand.; 77 

(17)  cured  epileptic  boy.....      78 

(18)  shekel  in  mouth  of  fish.     78 

(19)  cured  two  blind  men  of 

Jericho 9i 

(20)  withered  the  fig  tree 91 

(21)  cured  demoniac  in  syna- 

gogue      121 

(22)  cured  deaf  mute 121 

(23)  cured     blind     man     near 

Bethsaida ^21 

(24)  Jesus      passed      through 

multitude 183 

(25)  draught  of  fishes 183 

(26)  raising  son  of  widow...    183 

(27)  cured  woman  of  paraly- 

sis     197 

(28)  cured  man  of  dropsy...    i97 

(29)  cured  ten  lepers 198 


Miracles:  ^'age 

(30)  cured    the    ear    of    Mal- 

chus 213 

(31)  turned  water  into  wine..    234 

(32)  cured  nobleman's  son.  .  .    235 

(33)  cured    man    at    pool    of 

Bethesda 247 

(34)  cured  man  born  blind  . .    248 

(35)  raised  Lazarus 249 

(36)  draught  of  fishes 271 

Nazareth •  •  •    ^75 

Nicodemus  and  the  new  birth..    237 
No  marrying  in  the  resurrection  145 

Old    and    New    Testaments    con- 
trasted      379 

One  way ^7° 

Parables : 

(i)   house  on  rock 67 

(2)  undressed  cloth 79 

(3)  new  wine 79 

(4)  unclean  spirit 79 

(5)  sower 80 

(6)  tares 80 

(7)  mustard  seed 80 

(8)  leaven 80 

(9)  hidden  treasure 81 

(10)  goodly  pearl 81 

(11)  net 81 

(12)  things  new  and  old 82 

(13)  lost  sheep. 82 

(14)  unmerciful  servant 02 

(15)  laborers  in  the  vineyard.  92 

(16)  two  sons 93 

(17)  wicked  husbandman 93 

(18)  marriage  of  king's  son..  93 

(19)  fig  tree  and  all  the  trees  94 

(20)  ten  virgins 94 

(21 )  ten  talents 94 

{22)   sheep  and  goats 95 

(23)  seed  growing  secretly...    121 

(24)  householder     giving     au- 

thority   135 

(25)  two  debtors 184 

(26)  good  Samaritan i99 

(27)  friend  at  midnight i99 

(28)  rich  fool 199 

(29)  marriage  feast 200 

(30)  wise  steward .200 

(31)  barren  fig  tree 200 

(32)  great  supper 200 

(33)  lost  coin 201 

(34)  prodigal  son 201 

(35)  unrighteous  steward....    201 

(36)  rich  man  and  Lazarus..    202 

(37)  unprofitable  servant 202 

(38)  unrighteous  judge 203 

(39)  Pharisee  and  publican..    203 

(40)  pounds 203 

Pardon 402 

Passover ^7^ 

Paul: 

his  conversion 329 

conspiracy  against  him 385 


INDEX 


Paul:  PAGE 

first  missionary  tour 347 

second  missionary  tour 352 

third  missionary  tour 363 

arrest 381 

defense  before  the  mob 382 

defense  before  the  Sanhedrin.  384 

defense  before  Felix 386 

defense  before  Festus 388 

defense  before  Agrippa 389 

his  voyage  to   Rome 391 

his  imprisonment  in  Rome. .  .  397 

Paul  and  the  Jerusalem  church,  -^yj 

Peace  of  Jesus 285 

Pentecost 304 

Persecution  foretold 289 

Personal  work 232 

Peter's  confession  and  the  keys.  82 

Pharisees  and  Sadducees 144 

Philip  in   Samaria 32*5 

Poor  widow 146 

Prayer  of  Jesus 290 

Pre-existence  of  Christ 230 

Presentation  in  the  Temple  ....  174 

Prince  of  this  world 285 

Rebaptizing  at  Ephesus 365 

Regeneration 92 

Relation    of   our    thoughts    and 

feelings   to   our   acts 56 

Request  of  His  half-brothers.  .  .  256 

Request  of  Salome 95 

Resurrection  of  Jesus 214 

Resurrection  and  judgment  ....  250 

Riches 137 

Sabbath 349 

Satan  fallen  from  Heaven 205 

Sea  of  Galilee 251 

Searching  the  Scriptures 251 

Second    casting    out    of    money- 
changers   142 


Second  coming  of  Jesus zyy 

Sermon  on  the  Mount 56 

Sermon  in  Nazareth 184 

Seven  chosen 316 

Seventy  and  the  commission  .  . .  205 

Shepherds 173 

Sign  of  Jonah 207 

Signs  of  His  coming 97 

Sin  against  Holy  Spirit 123 

Star 38 

Stephen 317 

Study  of  the  Scriptures 2^ 

Superiority  of  secret  over  pub- 
lic service 62 

Supernatural  birth  of  Jesus....  35 

Synagogue 54 

Syria 56 

Temptation 44 

Ten  titles 232 

Tradition 127 

Transfiguration 128 

Trial  of  Jesus 108 

Triumphal  entry 141 

Twelve   and   their   first   commis- 
sion   187 

Twelve  years 177 

Uuwelcomed    in    Samaritan    vil- 
lage   204 

Upper  chamber 307 

Verily,  verily 250 

Waiting  for  the  power 303 

Wise-men 38 

Woman  at  the  well 239 

Woman  taken  in  adultery 260 

Works  of  the  world 25c 

Zacharias  and  Elizabeth 169 

Zackarias'  song  of  thanksgiving.  171 


DATE  DUE 

'^f^rliiiirtf 

CAVLOnO 

PNINTCOINU-S.*. 

llltlUilHIIilililHIllUIHUIlli 

BS2548.8.A29 

Among  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts;  being 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00013  4694 


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